Megasorex gigas (Merriam, 1897)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6869906 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A01E-8772-FAFC-AF841B88F4E1 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Megasorex gigas |
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Mexican Shrew
French: Musaraigne géante / German: Mexikanische Wistenspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana gigante de Mexico
Other common names: Merriam's Desert Shrew, Mexican Giant Shrew
Taxonomy. Notiosorex gigas Merriam, 1897 ,
“ Mts. at Milpillas , near San Sebastian, Jalisco, Mexico.” Restricted by L.. N. Carraway in 2007 to “latitude 22-12°N, longitude 104-11°W.” GoogleMaps
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. N Nayarit S to W Oaxaca (W Mexico). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 69-84 mm, tail 32-49 mm, ear 9-15 mm, hindfoot 12-16 mm; weight 9-12 g. The Mexican Shrew is relatively large. Dorsum is light grayish brown, with barely lighter venter. There are reports of some specimens with white spots on back either at shoulder or rear. Feet are stout, with long gripping finger and dark pinkish. Tail is ratlike and relatively bare, being somewhat longer than sympatric species (40-60% of head-body length) and dark blackish brown. Snout is long and dark pinkish, with dark brown median ridge extending to tip. Ears are longer than most sympatric species and similar in color to dorsal pelage; eyes are small. Like its relatives in Notiosorex , there is no pigmentation on the teeth; M,, M,, and P, have straight edges; molars are tightly put together, bulky, and unexcavated posteriorly. There are three unicuspids, with third being one-half the size of second. Dental formulais 13/2, C1/0,P 1/1, M 3/8=28.
Habitat. Primarily highland wet scrubland, pine-oak forests, cloud forests, and coffee fields at elevations of 80-1800 m. Mexican Shrews are rarely captured in lowland regions and are often associated with damp areas under logs and rocks with dense vegetation.
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. A lactating Mexican Shrew was captured in June 1964.
Activity patterns. Mexican Shrews have been captured day and night but are most often captured at night.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Although the Mexican Shrew may be resilient and is found in multiple protected areas including Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve, it might be threatened by habitat loss from urban and agricultural expansion, especially because 68% of its habitat had been developed and was unsuitable by 2005. It is listed as threatened in Mexico, mostly because of its rarity and few specimens.
Bibliography. Armstrong & Jones (1972a), Carraway (2007), Ceballos & Mendoza (2014), Davis (1957).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
