Microgale gracilis, Major, 1896

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 : 170

24.

Gracile Shrew Tenrec

Microgale gracilis

French: Microgale gracile / German: Schlanker Kleintenrek / Spanish: Tenrec musarana gracil

Taxonomy. Onryzoryctes gracilis Major, 1896 ,

“Ambohimitombo forest,”

Madagascar. Restricted by R. D. E. MacPhee in 1987 to “Ambohimitombo town (1300 m) ... 43 km (by road) SE of Ambositra, 10 km into eastern forest; Fianarantsoa, Fianarantsoa [Province, Madagascar]; 20°43’S, 47°26’E.” Further clarified by P. D. Jenkins and M. D. Carleton in 2005 to “ca 20°40’S 47°24’E.”

Microgale gracilis is sister to a clade of M. cowani , M. jobihely , and M. thomasi . Monotypic.

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

Descriptive notes. Head-body 85-105 mm, tail 75-88 mm, ear 15-18 mm, hindfoot 17-23 mm; weight 20-33 g. Tail of the Gracile Shrew Tenrec is nearly equal to head—body length. Pelage is dark brown dorsally, with buff speckling and dark gray ventrally, with buff wash. Tail is dark brown dorsally and light brown ventrally. Proboscis is very long; rhinarium is large, with naked region extending postero-dorsally for 4-5 mm; anterior portion is reticulated, and striae on posterior region are incomplete. Eyes are very small; ears are small and partially concealed by pelage. Forefeet are broad with stout claws that are enlarged on middle three digits and noticeably longer than those of the hindfeet.

Habitat. Humid forest (tolerant of some disturbance) at elevations of 900-2000 m.

Food and Feeding. A combination of morphological features suggests that the Gracile Shrew Tenrec includes soil invertebratesin its diet.

Breeding. Two placental scars were found in one wild-caught Gracile Shrew Tenrec .

Activity patterns. Gracile Shrew Tenrecs are presumably terrestrial, surface foragers, and semi-fossorial based on morphology.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Everson et al. (2016), Goodman & Jenkins (2000), Goodman, Jenkins & Pidgeon (1999), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Jenkins (2003), Jenkins & Carleton (2005), Jenkins et al. (1996), MacPhee (1987), Olson & Goodman (2003), Soarimalala & Goodman (2011), Stephenson et al. (2016w).

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.