Microgale taiva, Major, 1896

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Tenrecidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 134-172 : 168-169

17.

Taiva Shrew Tenrec

Microgale taiva

French: Microgale des Taivas / German: Taiva-Kleintenrek / Spanish: Tenrec musarana de Taiva

Taxonomy. Microgale tarva Major, 1896 ,

“Ambohimitombo forest, Tanala Country,” Madagascar, Restricted by R. D. E. MacPhee in 1987 to “Ambohimitombo town (1300 m) ... 43 km (by road) SE of Ambositra, 10 km into eastern forest; Fianarantsoa, Fianarantsoa [Province, Madagascar]; 20°43’S, 47°26’E.” Furtherclarified by P. D. Jenkins and M. D. Carleton in 2005 to “ca 20°40’S 47°24’E.”

Microgale taiva forms a clade with M. monticola . Monotypic.

Distribution. N, Northern and Central highlands, E & SE Madagascar.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 61-89 mm, tail 66-95 mm, ear 13-17 mm, hindfoot 16-20 mm; weight 10-16 g. Tail of the Taiva Shrew Tenrec is generally greater than 90% of head-body length. Dorsal pelage is dark brown, with buffy brown speckling; venter is gray-brown, with buffy brown wash. Tail is not obviously bicolored, dark gray-brown above and slightly paler gray

below; scales on tail are visible beneath short scale hairs.

Habitat. Humid forests at elevations of 530-2500 m but recently documented at lower elevations.

Food and Feeding. Taiva Shrew Tenrecs eat species of Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Annelida, Arachnida, and Amphipoda. They also eat smaller species of Microgale , several instances of cannibalism have been noted in pitfall traps, but cannibalism is unlikely to be natural behavior.

Breeding. Two embryos were found in wild-caught Taiva Shrew Tenrecs.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Taiva Shrew Tenrec is widely distributed and occurs in many protected areas. Its overall population is presumably large but probably decreasing. Major threats are habitat loss and fragmentation due to logging activities, use of fire for forest clearing, and conversion to agricultural land.

Bibliography. Everson et al. (2016), Goodman etal. (2013), Jenkins (2003), Jenkins & Carleton (2005), Jenkins et al. (1996), MacPhee (1987), Olson & Goodman (2003), Soarimalala & Goodman (2003, 2011), Stephenson et al. (2016).

Figures

1. Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec (Echinops telfairi), 2. Greater Hedgehog Tenrec (Setifer setosus), 3. Tailless Tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus), 4. Lowland Streaked Tenrec (Hemacenteles semispinosus), 5. Highland Streaked Tenrec (Hemicentetes nigriceps), 6. Large-eared Tenrec (Geogale aurita), 7. Mole-like Rice Tenrec (Oryzorictes hova), 8. Four-toed Rice Tenrec (Oryzorictes tetradactylus), 9. Dobson’s Shrew Tenrec (Nesogale dobsoni), 10. Talazac’s Shrew Tenrec (Nesogale talazact), 11. Montane Shrew Tenrec (Macrogale monticola), 12. Dryad Shrew Tenrec (Microgale dryas), 13. Short-tailed Shrew Tenrec (Microgale brevicaudata), 14. Pygmy Shrew Tenrec (Microgale parvula), 15. Lesser Long-tailed Shrew Tenrec (Mucrogale longicaudata), 16. Drouhard’s Shrew Tenrec (Microgale drouhardi), 17. Taiva Shrew Tenrec (Microgale taiva), 18. Pale Shrew (Tenrec Mucrogalefotsifotsy), 19. Greater Long-tailed Shrew Tenrec (Microgale principula), 20. Cowan's Shrew Tenrec (Microgale cowant), 21. Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec (Microgale gymnorhyncha), 22. Shrew-toothed Shrew Tenrec (Microgale soricoides), 23. Major's Shrew Tenrec (Microgale major), 24. Gracile Shrew Tenrec (Microgale gracilis), 25. Thomas’s Shrew Tenrec (Microgale thomasi), 26. Grandidier’s Shrew Tenrec (Muicrogale grandidieri), 27. Web-footed Tenrec (Microgale mergulus), 28. Least Shrew Tenrec (Muicrogale pusilla), 29. Dark Shrew (Tenrec Microgalejobihely), 30. Nasolo’s Shrew Tenrec (Microgale nasoloi), 31. Jenkins’s Shrew (Tenrec Microgalejenkinsae)

Distribution. N, Northern and Central highlands, E & SE Madagascar.