Hylomys suillus, S. Miller, 1839

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Erinaceidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 288-330 : 328

21.

Short-tailed Gymnure

Hylomys suillus

French: Petit Gymnure / German: Kurzschwanz-Rattenigel / Spanish: Gimnuro de cola corta

Other common names: Lesser Moonrat, Short-tailed Moonrat

Taxonomy. Hylomys suillus S. Miller, 1839 ,

“Java en het andere van Sumatra.” Re- stricted by H. J. V. Sody in 1933 to “Java,” Indonesia. Seven subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

H.s.swillusS.Muller,1839—Java.

H.s.dorsalisThomas,1888—NBorneo(fromMtKinabaluStoKelabitHighlands).

H.s.maxiSody,1933—SThailand,MalayPeninsula,andWSumatra.

H.s.microtinusThomas,1925—SWChina(Yunnan),Vietnam,andCambodia.

H.s.peguensisBlyth,1859—EMyanmarandadjacentSWChina(Yunnan).

H.s.siamensisKloss,1916—SEMyanmar,N&WThailand,andLaos.

H. s. tionis Chasen, 1940 — Tioman I, off SE Malay Peninsula.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 90-156 mm, tail 10-30 mm, ear 12-21 mm, hindfoot 20-28 mm; weight 45-80 g. The Short-tailed Gymnure is small, and its short tail distinguishes it from all other gymnures. Snoutis pointed, ears and tail are short, and overall appearance is ratlike. Pelage is soft and dense. Upper parts are rusty brown, sometimes with faint black nape stripe or dorsalstripe, and underparts are grayish, brownish, or yellowish. Microstructures of hairs and vibrissae of the Short-tailed Gymnure are similar to those in the Long-eared Gymnure ( H. megalotis ) and the Shrew Gymnure ( Neotetracus sinensis ); there are spearshaped lead hairs and zig-zag guard hairs, but there are no downy hairs. Dental formulais13/3,C1/1,P4/4,M 3/3 (x2) = 44.

Habitat. Usually confined to dense, damp, forested areas, especially hilly, mountainous, and lowland forests with thick undergrowth. In China, the Short-tailed Gymnure occurred in secondary forests that had been clear-cut 13 years previously but was not documented in nearby tropical monsoon forests. In Thailand, it occurred under logs in a grove of wild bananas. It has been recorded at elevations of 90 m on mainland South-east Asia to 3000 m on Sumatra and 1000-3400 m on Borneo. Its presence has been verified along edges of a disturbed montane rainforest at 1200-1500 m in Peninsular Malaysia, in lower montane rainforest at 1700 m on Java, and in lower and upper montane rainforests at 1500-3000 m on Borneo.

Food and Feeding. Diet of the Short-tailed Gymnure is mainly invertebrates such as insects and earthworms, but it also eats fruits and vegetation. It forages by searching underleaf litter and in upperlayers of humus with its long, mobile snout, which tosses aside leaves and twigs with jerks of head and shoulders.

Breeding. The Short-tailed Gymnureis polygynous, and it probably breeds throughout the year. A pregnant female with two embryos was observed in February and another with two embryos in March. Litters have 3-6 young. Gestation lasts 30-35 days. Lifespan probably does not exceed two years.

Activity patterns. The Short-tailed Gymnure is mainly diurnal but can be active at any time of day or night, singly or in small groups. It is mainly active aboveground, beneath litter, and under logs, but sometimes it climbs on low bushes. It builds nests of leaves in rock crevices, burrows, and hollows among roots of trees. It does not hibernate.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Short-tailed Gymnures are primarily solitary; however, there have been observations of groups of 2-3 individuals that might have been females with young. Although capable of climbing, Short-tailed Gymnures generally stay on the ground, moving quickly and nimbly with short leaps. It appears to use definite paths or runways on the forest floor, often passing under logs that are slightly off the ground. When threatened, the Short-tailed Gymnure bounds away with considerable speed. It emits shrill squeaks that are not loud. In Malaya, average densities in favorable habitats are 3—4 ind/ha. Home ranges are ¢.30-40 m in diameter. The Short-tailed Gymnure has a strong odor.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Shorttailed Gymnure has a wide distribution and relatively stable overall population.

Bibliography. Beer (2003), Chernova et al. (2015), Hutterer (2005a), Jenkins & Robinson (2002), Lekagul & McNeely (1988), Medway (1983), Nowak (1999), Phillipps & Phillipps (2016), Rudd (1980), Ruedi et al. (1994), Smith & Yan Xie (2013), Sody (1933), Stone (1995b), Wu Delin et al. (1996).

Figures

1. West European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), 2. Northern White-breasted Hedgehog (Erimaceus roumanicus), 3. Southern White-breasted Hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor), 4. Amur Hedgehog (Erinaceus amurensis), 5. North African Hedgehog (Atelerix algirus), 6. Four-toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), 7. Somali Hedgehog (Atelerix sclateri), 8. Southern African Hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis), 9. Desert Hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus), 10. Brandt's Hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas), 11. Indian Hedgehog (Paraechinus micropus), 12. Bare-bellied Hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventris), 13. Common Long-eared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus), 14. Indian Long-eared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris), 15. Wang's Forest Hedgehog (Mesechinus wangi), 16. Small-toothed Forest Hedgehog (Mesechinus miodon), 17. Daurian Hedgehog (Mesechinus dawuricus), 18. Hugh's Hedgehog (Mesechinus hughi), 19. Long-eared Gymnure (Hylomys megalotis), 20. Dwarf Gymnure (Hylomys parvus), 21. Short-tailed Gymnure (Hylomys suillus), 22. Moonrat (Echinosorex gymnurus), 23. Shrew Gymnure (Neotetracus sinensis), 24. Hainan Gymnure (Neohylomys hainanensis), 25. Mindanao Gymnure (Podogymnura truei), 26. Dinagat Gymnure (Podogymnura aureospinula)

Subspecies and Distribution. H.s.swillusS.Muller,1839—Java. H.s.dorsalisThomas,1888—NBorneo(fromMtKinabaluStoKelabitHighlands). H.s.maxiSody,1933—SThailand,MalayPeninsula,andWSumatra. H.s.microtinusThomas,1925—SWChina(Yunnan),Vietnam,andCambodia. H.s.peguensisBlyth,1859—EMyanmarandadjacentSWChina(Yunnan). H.s.siamensisKloss,1916—SEMyanmar,N&WThailand,andLaos. H. s. tionis Chasen, 1940 — Tioman I, off SE Malay Peninsula.