Palawanosorex muscorum, Hutterer, Balete, Giarla, Heaney & Esselstyn, 2018

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 332-551 : 459

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6869970

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A068-8704-FFFF-A94A13A2F696

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Palawanosorex muscorum
status

 

182. View Plate 19: Soricidae

Palawan Moss Shrew

Palawanosorex muscorum

French: Pachyure des mousses / German: Palawan-Moosspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de musgo de Palawan

Taxonomy. Palawanosorex muscorum Hutterer et al, 2018 ,

“ Philippine Islands, Palawan Island , Palawan Province, Rizal Municipality, 2 km W, 0-7 km S Mt. Man- talingahan peak, 1,750 m, 8-81301°N, 117-66313°E.” GoogleMaps

Time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis by R. Hutterer and colleagues in 2018 estimated divergence between Palawanosorex and its closest known relatives at c.10 million years ago. Closest relatives are Ruwen-

zorisorex and Scutisorex on one side and Feroculus and Suncus murinus on the otherside. Palawanosorex muscorum co-occurs with Crocidura palawanensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from higher elevations of Mt Mantalingahan, Palawan I, Philippines. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 84-99 mm, tail 53-68 mm, ear 8-11 mm, hindfoot 17-20 mm (including claw) and 15-2-17-5 mm (excluding claw); weight 16-24 g. There is no clear difference in size between sexes. The Palawan Moss Shrew is large, with rather short tail (average 65% of head-body length). Tail is thick, blackish, and covered with only very short hairs. Dorsal and ventral surfaces are covered by long and blackish fur. Forefeet and hindfeet are broad, with long claws. Interdigital ventral surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are smooth, crossed by only a few wrinkles. Skull is slender and pointed. Dorsal suture is open or covered by a very thin bone layer in 65% of examined specimens, often accompanied by pair of closed foramina. Four pairs of upper unicuspids, and I' is small with pronounced second cusp. Articular facet is weak and small. In two of 21 skulls, one upper M' has an additional small third cusp between protocone and hypocone. Greatest lengths of skulls are 23-8-25-3 mm, and condylo-incisive lengths are 23.825 2 mm. Dental formulais13/2,C1/0,P2/1,M 3/3 (x2) = 30.

Habitat. Mature montane forest with canopies 7-10 m high and heath forest with canopies only 2-3 m high at elevations of 1550-1950. Ground cover has sedges, ferns, orchids, pitcher plants, and viney bamboo; leaf litter is continuous and moderately thick; and moss is abundant on the ground and up to 2 m on tree trunks. At 1750 m, vegetation is similar, but nearly all brushy, heath-like forest with canopies 1-3 m high and abundant moss. At 1950 m, there is low heath forest, a few emergent plants reaching 5 m high, but mosttrees are 2-3 m tall. Moss covers many of tree trunks, and nearly the entire forest floor is covered by moss.

Food and Feeding. The Palawan Moss Shrew apparently eats mainly earthworms.

Breeding. Seven of twelve female Palawan Moss Shrew had enlarged nipples. Three pairs of inguinal teats were present and equally spaced. An adult female captured in earlyJuly carried a single embryo.

Activity patterns. Palawan Moss Shrews mainly have been captured at night.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Palawan Moss Shrew is rather common on Mount Mantalingahan,its only known place of occurrence.

Bibliography. Hutterer et al. (2018).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Soricomorpha

Family

Soricidae

Genus

Palawanosorex

Loc

Palawanosorex muscorum

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson 2018
2018
Loc

Palawanosorex muscorum Hutterer et al, 2018

Hutterer, Balete, Giarla, Heaney & Esselstyn 2018
2018
GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF