Palawanosorex muscorum Hutterer, Balete, Giarla, Heaney &amp; Esselstyn 2018
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Palawanosorex
Palawanosorex muscorum

description: 182. Palawan Moss Shrew <i>Palawanosorex muscorum</i> <b>French:</b> Pachyure des mousses / <b>German:</b> Palawan-Moosspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarana de musgo de Palawan <b>Taxonomy.</b> Palawanosorex muscorum Hutterer et al, 2018, “ Philippine Islands, Palawan Island, Palawan Province, Rizal Municipality, 2 km W, 0-7 km S Mt. Man- talingahan peak, 1,750 m, 8-81301°N, 117-66313°E.” Time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis by R. Hutterer and colleagues in 2018 estimated divergence between Palawanosorex and its closest known relatives at c.10 million years ago. Closest relatives are Ruwen- zorisorex and Scutisorex on one side and Feroculus and Suncus murinus on the otherside. Palawanosorex muscorum co-occurs with Crocidura palawanensis. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Known only from higher elevations of Mt Mantalingahan, Palawan I, Philippines. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 84-99 mm, tail 53-68 mm, ear 8-11 mm, hindfoot 17-20 mm (including claw) and 15-2-17-5 mm (excluding claw); weight 16-24 g. There is no clear difference in size between sexes. The Palawan Moss Shrew is large, with rather short tail (average 65% of head-body length). Tail is thick, blackish, and covered with only very short hairs. Dorsal and ventral surfaces are covered by long and blackish fur. Forefeet and hindfeet are broad, with long claws. Interdigital ventral surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are smooth, crossed by only a few wrinkles. Skull is slender and pointed. Dorsal suture is open or covered by a very thin bone layer in 65% of examined specimens, often accompanied by pair of closed foramina. Four pairs of upper unicuspids, and I' is small with pronounced second cusp. Articular facet is weak and small. In two of 21 skulls, one upper M' has an additional small third cusp between protocone and hypocone. Greatest lengths of skulls are 23-8-25-3 mm, and condylo-incisive lengths are 23.825 2 mm. Dental formulais13/2,C1/0,P2/1,M 3/3 (x2) = 30. <b>Habitat.</b> Mature montane forest with canopies 7-10 m high and heath forest with canopies only 2-3 m high at elevations of 1550-1950. Ground cover has sedges, ferns, orchids, pitcher plants, and viney bamboo; leaf litter is continuous and moderately thick; and moss is abundant on the ground and up to 2 m on tree trunks. At 1750 m, vegetation is similar, but nearly all brushy, heath-like forest with canopies 1-3 m high and abundant moss. At 1950 m, there is low heath forest, a few emergent plants reaching 5 m high, but mosttrees are 2-3 m tall. Moss covers many of tree trunks, and nearly the entire forest floor is covered by moss. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Palawan Moss Shrew apparently eats mainly earthworms. <b>Breeding.</b> Seven of twelve female Palawan Moss Shrew had enlarged nipples. Three pairs of inguinal teats were present and equally spaced. An adult female captured in earlyJuly carried a single embryo. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Palawan Moss Shrews mainly have been captured at night. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Palawan Moss Shrew is rather common on Mount Mantalingahan,its only known place of occurrence. <b>Bibliography.</b> Hutterer et al. (2018).
description: Published as part of <i>Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, pp. 332-551 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 459, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843