Microgale gymnorhyncha, Jenkins, Goodman & Raxworthy, 1996

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 : 169-170

21.

Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec

Microgale gymnorhyncha

French: Microgale a museau nu / German: Nacktnasen-Kleintenrek / Spanish: Tenrec musarana de hocico desnudo

Taxonomy. Microgale gymnorhyncha Jenkins, Goodman & Raxworthy, 1996 ,

“38 km S Ambalavao, RNI [= Réserve Naturelle Intégrale] d’Andringitra, on ridge E of Volotsangana River, Fianarantsoa Province [eastern Madagascar], 22°11°39”S 46°58’16”E, altitude 1625 m.”

Microgale gymnorhyncha forms a clade with M. dryas . Monotypic.

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

Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-101 mm, tail 59-75 mm, ear 11-18 mm, hindfoot 14-20 mm; weight 14-26 g. Tail of the Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec is generally less than 90% of head-body length. Pelage is soft and lustrous, gray-brown dorsally and gray ventrally; tail is gray-brown

above, grading into paler below. Proboscis is very long, and rhinarium is very large, with transversely striated naked region extending postero-dorsally for ¢.6-7 mm. Eyes are very small; ears are small and virtually concealed in pelage. Forefeet are broad, with moderately enlarged claws on middle three digits.

Habitat. Humid forests at elevations of 595-2525 m.

Food and Feeding. A combination of morphological characteristics suggests that the Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec includes soil invertebrates in its diet.

Breeding. Three embryos were found in one wild-caught Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec , and another had three placental scars. Two females were lactating in December.

Activity patterns. Based on morphology, Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrecs are terrestrial, surface foragers, and semi-fossorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec is widely distributed and occurs in some protected areas. Its overall population is presumably large but probably decreasing. Major threats at lower elevations are habitat loss and degradation due to pastoral grazing, use offire for forest clearing, and deforestation.

Bibliography. Everson et al. (2016), Goodman & Jenkins (1998, 2000), Goodman, Jenkins & Pidgeon (1999), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Jenkins (2003), Jenkins et al. (1996), Olson & Goodman (2003), Soarimalala & Goodman (2011), Stephenson et al. (2016aa).

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.