Suncus montanus

191.

Sr1 Lankan Highland Shrew

Suncus montanus

French: Pachyure des montagnes / German: Hochland-Moschusspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de tierras altas de Sri Lanka

Other common names: Asian Highland Shrew, Black Shrew-mouse, Hill Shrew, Montane Shrew

Taxonomy. Sorex montanus Kelaart, 1850,

Pidurutalagala, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka.

G. B. Corbet and J. E. Hill in 1992 regarded S. montanus as a distinct species from S. murinus and questioned the conspecific status of the Indian S. niger and the Sri Lankan S. montanus. R. Hutterer in 2005 considered that S. montanus niger represented a distinct subspecies. In a study of mitochondrial genes, S. Meegaskumbura and C. J. Schneider

in 2008 concluded that S. montanus from Sri Lanka was a separate species from S. niger from India and that S. montanus and S. murinus were sister taxa. Subsequently, Meegaskumbura and colleagues in 2010 studied several different populations of §. montanus and S. murinus from Sri Lanka in an analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial genes and morphometric data. Much earlier in 1980, W. W. A. Phillips had reported that interbreeding was known to occur in Sri Lanka between S. montanus (at that time considered to be a subspecies, S. murinus montanus) and other subspecies of S. murinus, and indeed, Meegaskumbura and colleagues found that two populations showed possible hybridization between S. montanus and S. murinus kandianus. Their combined analysis of all nuclear and mitochondrial genes provided high support for S. montanus and S. murinus kandianus as sisters, separate from a clade of the other subspecies of S. murinus from Sri Lanka. An additional study of mitochondrial genes by S. D. Ohdachi and colleagues in 2016 also concluded that S. montanus wassister to a clade of S. murinus from Sri Lanka (from three different locations in Kandy) and that this clade (S. murinus kandianus—S. montanus complex) formed a sister to clades of the majority of S. murinus from many Asian and other locations including two separate clades from Sri Lanka. Monotypic.

Distribution. Recorded from few localities in Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces, including Sinharaja Forest, Sri Lanka.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 72-106 mm, tail 46-71 mm, ear 7-13 mm, hindfoot 14-19 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Sri Lankan Highland Shrew is medium-sized, with short, soft pelage, being dark brown to blackish brown dorsally and slightly lighter ventrally; some specimens have slight rufous tinge. Tailis 52-80% of head-body length and dark brown, with long bristle hairs scattered over most of its length.

Habitat. Highland montane forest and tropical rainforests in low hills, in undergrowth, rotting logs and leaves, vegetation bordering streams, and only rarely human dwellings close to forests, at elevations of 150-2524 m.

Food and Feeding. Captive Sri Lankan Highland Shrews ate a wide variety of insects including beetles, cockroaches, grasshoppers and large moths and also worms, bird eggs, lizard eggs, seeds, coconut, small snakes, and a young mouse (Mus). Food is held down by forefeet while biting off pieces. It has been speculated that shrews found half eaten after being caught in deadfall traps overnight had been cannibalized or eaten by other species of shrews.

Breeding. Wild-caught pregnant Sri Lankan Highland Shrews with two fetuses were found in early December,late June, and earlyJuly. Young are reportedly born in nests of dead leaves and grass in rough chambers at ends of short burrows, usually under a tree stump or boulder among low vegetation. During the breeding season, basal part of tail becomes markedly swollen, and lateral glands become enlarged and produce distinctive musky odor.

Activity patterns. The Sri Lankan Highland Shrew is principally but not exclusively nocturnal. Individuals trapped at night were dead before morning, suggesting the need for frequent activity to feed regularly.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Sri Lankan Highland Shrew occurs in restricted and fragmented locations, and there is ongoing decline in area and quality of habitat due to anthropogenic activities. Nevertheless, the Sri Lankan Highland Shrew needs to be reassessed following recognition of the Nilgiri Highland Shrew (i.e. Indian S. niger) as a separate species.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Hutterer (2005b), Meegaskumbura & Schneider (2008), Meegaskumbura et al. (2010), Menike et al. (2012), Molur, Nameer & Goonatilake (2008a), Molur, Srinivasulu et al. (2005), Ohdachi et al. (2016), Phillips (1928, 1980), Yapa & Ratnavira (2013).