Microgale cowant, Thomas, 1882

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 : 169

20.

Cowan's Shrew Tenrec

Microgale cowant

French: Microgale de Cowan / German: Cowan-Kleintenrek / Spanish: Tenrec musarana de Cowan

Taxonomy. Microgale cowan: Thomas, 1882,

“Ankafana forest, Eastern Bet- sileo,” Madagascar. Restricted by R. D. E. MacPhee in 1987 to “Ankafina ... 10 km S of Ambohimahasoa and 3 km W of Tsarafidy town, on extreme western margin of eastern rain forest; Fianarantsoa, Fianarantsoa [Province, Madagascar]; 21°12°S, 47°13’E.”

Microgale cowani and M. jobihely are sister taxa. Microgale cowan : might contain cryptic taxa, so taxonomy requires reassessment. Monotypic.

Distribution. N, Central Highlands, E & SE Madagascar.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 68-87 mm, tail 54-87 mm, ear 12-16 mm, hindfoot 15-19 mm; weight 12-17 g. Tail of Cowan’s Shrew Tenrec is generally less than 90% of head-body length. Dorsum is speckled brown; individual hairs have dark gray bases and mix of buff and red-brown tips; venter is gray, with buff wash. Tail is markedly bicolored, dark brown above and sharply demarcated from paler reddish buff below; tail is covered with long scale hairs that partially obscure scales. Hindfeet are brown above and dark gray below. Claws on forefeet are moderately long.

Habitat. Humid and transitional humid to dry forests, disturbed forest edges, and rice paddies at elevations of 530-2525 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet of Cowan’s Shrew Tenrec contains species of Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Annelida.

Breeding. Two to three embryos were observed in wild-caught Cowan’s Shrew Tenrecs. Lactating females were found from the end of October to the beginning of December. Females showed improved thermoregulation during pregnancy, and resting metabolic rate was increased significantly throughout pregnancy and lactation.

Activity patterns. Cowan’s Shrew Tenrecs are terrestrial, but some forelimb characteristics suggest digging behavior.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Cowan's Shrew Tenrec is widely distributed and occurs in some protected areas. Its overall population is presumably large but probably decreasing. It tolerates some habitat modification. It faces no major conservation threats.

Bibliography. Everson et al. (2016), Goodman & Jenkins (1998, 2000), Goodman, Jenkins & Pidgeon (1999), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Jenkins (2003), Jenkins et al. (1996), MacPhee (1987), Olson & Goodman (2003), Salton & Sargis (2008a, 2008b, 2009), Soarimalala & Goodman (2003, 2011), Soarimalala et al. (2010), Stephenson & Racey (1993b), Stephenson et al. (20162).

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, Central Highlands, E & SE Madagascar.