Crocidura palawanensis, E. H. Taylor, 1934
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6870126 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A07E-8713-FAFD-A90913FCFE27 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Crocidura palawanensis |
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Palawan White-toothed Shrew
Crocidura palawanensis View in CoL
French: Crocidure de Palawan / German: Palawan-Weif 3zahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Palawan
Other common names: Palawan Shrew
Taxonomy. Crocidura palawanensis E. H. Taylor, 1934 View in CoL ,
Sir J. Brooke Point , Palawan, Philippines.
Originally described as a species, it was subsumed under C. fuliginosaby G. B. Cor- bet andJ. E. Hill in 1992. Later, it was again listed as distinct species by L. R. Heaney and M. Ruediin 1994, and by R. Hutterer in 2005. Hutterer in 2007 hinted that the population of shrews on Balabac Island at southern end of Palawan group may rep-
resent a distinct species. Individuals caught on Dumaran Island, and others caught in the Malampaya Sound (northern Palawan) are smaller than would be expected for C. palawanensis ; the identification of these species is currently under study. Recently found syntopic with Palawanosorex muscorum on Mount Mantalingahan. It is unclear whether C. palawanensis consists of one or two species; further studies are needed into the taxonomy of the species. Phylogenetically, related to C. mindorus , C. gray, C. negrina , and C. panayensis , but only distantly related to C. batakorum , and Palawanosorex muscorum, two other shrews from Palawan. Monotypic.
Distribution. Palawan and Balabac Is, Philippines. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 70-86 mm, tail 76-96 mm, ear 8-11 mm, hindfoot 17-20 mm; weight 8-19-5 g. Condylo-incisive length 21-4-25-4 mm. The Palawan Whitetoothed Shrew is a relatively large shrew, comparable to the Negros White-toothed Shrew ( C. negrina ) and the Mindoro White-toothed Shrew ( C. mindorus ). Upperparts are slaty to ash gray. Snout, ears, and tail blackish brown; underparts on throat and thorax are reddish-brown, more grayish on posterior abdomen. The Palawan White-toothed Shrew has a very long tail with long bristle hairs (c.30%). Interdigital surface of foreand hindfeet covered by numerous small granules. Specimens reported from Balabac under the name C. palawanensis have shorter tails (56-70 mm); it is unclear whether they belong to C. palawanensis or are an undescribed species. Compared to the Palawan White-toothed Shrew, the Batak White-toothed Shrew ( C. batakorum ) is dark brown, smaller (head-body length 63 mm), with a shortertail (43 mm) sparsely covered by bristle hairs proximally, and a similar interdigital morphology. The Palawan Moss Shrew has a stouter body, broader forefeet, longer claws, and a shorttail with short hairs and no bristle hairs. Its interdigital surface is smooth. The Asian House Shrew ( Suncus murinus ) is much larger, with a thicker, hairier tail. Skull is relatively elongate; the interorbital region is narrow, as in the Panay White-toothed Shrew ( C. panayensis ).
Habitat. Old growth and scrubby secondary forest; type specimen from deep forest near the sea. Common in primary, secondary montane and mossy forest on Mount Mantalingahan (southern Palawan) at elevations of 900-1950 m. Here it was collected syntopically with the Palawan Moss Shrew ( Palawanosorex muscorum) at elevations of 1550-1950 m and the Palawan Spiny Rat ( Maxomys panglima). It is likely to tolerate a good deal of habitat degradation and may be resistant to habitat fragmentation. Probably not found in agricultural areas, and originally uncommon at lower elevations, with increasing abundance at higher elevations.
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. No information.
Activity patterns. Terrestrial and predominantly nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Until recently very poorly known. Recent surveys, using pitfall trapping yielded many specimens. The Palawan Whitetoothed Shrew has been collected only with pitfall trapping, while other methods have not located the species and this was the reason behind the scant records hitherto available for this species. On Dumaran Island, ten individuals were found in 260 pitfall trap/nights in 60 ha of heavily logged forest patch, at elevations of 35-70 m, where the canopy height was 25 m but with dense understory, including some individuals in bamboo shrub, although these individuals have yet to be identified. On Mount Matalingahan,it was captured predominantly on the ground but up to 2 m on tree trunks. The sympatric Palawan Moss Shrew was captured only up to 0-5 m.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List as it has been demonstrated to be commoner than previously realized. Little of the low elevation forest in the region where the Palawan White-toothed Shrew is known to occur remains, due to heavy deforestation, but collection sites suggest thereis a certain tolerance of disturbance. Given its relatively wide range, this species is likely to be present in a number of protected areas, and it is found in Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The area is undergoing rapid deforestation. Lowland primary forest was disappearing quickly before a logging ban was placed in the mid-1990s; this has somewhat slowed deforestation rates since then and has allowed regeneration of second-growth forest. The species is reasonably adaptable and seems to be able to survive in some secondary habitats.
Bibliography. Boitani et al. (2006), Cassola (2016aa), Corbet & Hill (1992), Esselstyn & Brown (2009), Esselstyn & Oliveros (2010), Esselstyn, Maher & Brown (2011), Esselstyn, Oliveros et al. (2010), Esselstyn, Timm & Brown (2009), Esselstyn, Widmann & Heaney (2004), Heaney & Ruedi (1994), Heaney, Balete et al. (1998), Heaney, Dolar et al. (2010), Hoogstraal (1951), Hutterer (2005b, 2007), Hutterer et al. (2018), Taylor (1934), Widmann et al. (2004).
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