Urotrichus talpoides, Temminck, 1841

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Talpidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 52-619 : 602

16.

Japanese Shrew Mole

Urotrichus talpoides

French: Taupe du Japon / German: Japan-Spitzmull / Spanish: Topo musarana de Japon

Other common names: Greater Japanese Shrew Mole

Taxonomy. Urotrichus talpoides Temminck, 1841 ,

“Kiu-siu [= Kyushu Island],”

Japan.

Urotrichus talpoides is the only extant spe- cies of Urotrichus . Two parapatric karyotyp- ic races were recognized in the subspecies talpoides ; eastern race (eastern Honshu) and western race (western Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu) are characterized by pericentric inversion and quantitative changes in constitutive heterochromatin. Distributional boundary of the two races is in central Honshu along the Kurobe-Fuji line. These two races have not been given taxonomic rank. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

U.t.talpoidesTemminck,1841—Japan(mainislandsofHonshu,Shikoku,andKyushuandadjacentsmallislandsofFukuejimainGotoIs,AmakusaIs,Mishima,OkiIs,Shodoshima,Awajishima,Notojima,andAwashima).

U. t. adversus Thomas, 1908 —Japan (Tsushima I).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 89-104 mm, tail 27-38 mm, hindfoot 13-8-16 mm; weight 14-5-28-5 g. The Japanese Shrew Moleis large and has no auricles. Tailis thick and club-shaped, with bottlebrush-like bristles. Dorsum is black or blackish brown, and venteris paler. Subspecies adversus from Tsushima Island has longertail (37% of headbody length on average) than nominate talpoides (32-34%), and pelage of adversus is lighter than in falpoides. Partial albinism was reported, but black eyes were retained. Skull is robust. Rostrum is usually broad and short. I' is large, with sharply pointed tip. Dental formulais 13/2, C1/1,P 3/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 36, and first premolaris presumably monophyodont. Based on position of maxilloincisive suture, some authors suggested that the fifth tooth is monophyodont; hence, dental formula would be 1 2/1, C1/1,P 4/3, M 3/3 (x2) = 36. The Japanese Shrew Mole possesses ¢.3000 Eimer’s organs on its hairless snouttip. There are six mammae: one pectoral, 0-1 abdominal, and 1-2 inguinal pairs. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 34 and FNa = 64.

Habitat. Forests, bushes, and grasslands, mainly in lower montane zones. The Japanese Shrew Mole prefers deciduous forests more than coniferous plantations and grasslands in northern Honshu. Ammonia fungi Hebeloma spoliatum and H. radicosum have been reported on dung ofJapanese Shrew Moles deposited in burrows.

Food and Feeding. Main food items of the Japanese Shrew Mole are adult and larval

insects, earthworms, centipedes, spiders, other small terrestrial animals, seeds, and fruits. Seasonal change of food items occurs. In captivity, the Japanese Shrew Mole uses several hunting methods depending on situations: in order, foraging, pursuit, capture, and eating or storing. Foraging behavior was observed in a tunnel system and on the ground. Pursuing and capturing behavior depended on the situation. In a tunnel system, slow approach and back-with-grip were regular tactics; on the ground, slow approach and bite-and-retreat were regular tactics. Movement of prey stimulated bite-and-retreat. Olfactory perception is very effective for crude localization, and there is no other sense so prominent for prey localization. The Japanese Shrew Mole distinguishes the “head” end of an earthworm from the rear and attacks it first.

Breeding. Breeding season of the Japanese Shrew Mole is primarily restricted to spring and tends to be delayed in the northern populations. Second low peak of breeding activity was also observed in July-September. Litters have 1-6 young. Young do not attain sexual maturity until the following spring. Body weight of breeding individuals is more than 14 g in males and 13 g in females. Testes of sexually active males are longer than 5 mm. Gestation and lactation are estimated to be c.4 weeks long each. Based on determination of four age classes and mark-recapture study, longevity was estimated to be c.3 years.

Activity patterns. The Japanese Shrew Mole is semi-fossorial and active day and night. It is more active aboveground at night. There are c.3 activity cycles/day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. During non-breeding season, home range size (minimum convex polygon 1533 m?, range 500-2000 m?) does not differ between males and females. During breeding season, breeding males have larger home range than non-breeding males, and home ranges of breeding and non-breeding females do not differ in size. Male home ranges largely overlap, and female ranges overlapped to a lesser extent. Densities are 6-9-13-1 ind/ha during non-breeding season (May-January) and do not fluctuate significantly during breeding season (February—April), despite replacement and disappearance of breeding individuals. Rapid decrease in numbers of overwintered individuals occurs, and young are recruited into the population in April-June, ¢.48% of young attain maturation. Individualsliving two or more winters comprised less than 30% of a population, and those participating in breeding with two litters or moreis ¢.20%.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Abe (1967 1968), Harada et al. (2001), Imaizumi, Yoshiharu (1978, 1979), Imaizumi, Yoshinori (1970), Ishii (1982, 1993), Kawada & Obara (1999), Moribe et al. (2014), Ohdachi et al. (2015), Sagara et al. (1981), Shibanai (1988).

Figures

1. Equivalent-teeth Shrew Mole (Uropsilus aequodonenia), 2. Anderson’s Shrew Mole (Uropsilus andersont), 3. Gracile Shrew Mole (Uropsilus gracilis), 4. Inquisitive Shrew Mole (Uropsilus investigator), 5. Chinese Shrew Mole (Uropsilus soricipes), 6. Snow Mountain Shrew Mole (Uropsilus nivatus), 7. Black-backed Shrew Mole (Uropsilus atronates), 8. Gansu Mole (Scapanulus oweni), 9. Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri), 10. Coast Mole (Scapanus orarius), 11. Townsend’s Mole (Scapanus townsend), 12. Broad-footed Mole (Scapanus latimanus), 13. Mexican Mole (Scapanus anthonyi), 14. Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus), 15. Long-tailed Mole (Scaptonyx fusicauda), 16. Japanese Shrew Mole (Urotrichus talpoides), 17. True’s Shrew Mole (Dymecodon pilirostris), 18. American Shrew Mole (Neurotrichus gibbsi), 19. Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata), 20. Russian Desman (Desmana moschata), 21. Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus)

Subspecies and Distribution. U.t.talpoidesTemminck,1841—Japan(mainislandsofHonshu,Shikoku,andKyushuandadjacentsmallislandsofFukuejimainGotoIs,AmakusaIs,Mishima,OkiIs,Shodoshima,Awajishima,Notojima,andAwashima). U. t. adversus Thomas, 1908 —Japan (Tsushima I).