Suncus murinus (Linnaeus, 1766) . Syst. Nat., 12th ed., 1:74.

TYPE LOCALITY: Indonesia, Java .

DISTRIBUTION: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China, Taiwan, Japan, continental and peninsular Indomalayan Region; introduced into Guam, the Maidive Islands, and probably many other islands; introduced in historical times into coastal Affica (Egypt to Tanzania), Madagascar, the Comores, Mauritius, and Réunion, and into coastal Arabia (Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia).

SYNONYMS: albicauda, albinus, andersoni, auriculata, beddontei, blanfordii, blythii, caerulaeus, caerulescens, caeruleus, celebensis, ceylanica, crassicaudus, duvernoyi, edwardsiana, fulvocinerea, fuscipes, geoffroyi, giganteus, griffithii, heterodon, indicus, kandianus, kroonii, kuekenthali, leucura, luzoniensis, malabaricus, mauritiana, media, melanodon, microtis, mulleri, muschata, myosurus, nemorivagus, nitidofulva, occultidens, palawanensis, pealana, pilorides, riukiuana, rubicunda, sacer, saturatior, semmelincki, semmeliki, serpentarius, sindensis, soccatus, sonneratii, swinhoei, temminckii, tytleri, unicolor, viridescens, waldemarii.

COMMENTS: A very variable species with a number of genetically distinct populations which almost behave like semispecies (Hasler et al., 1977; Yamagata et al., 1987; Yoshida, 1985). A number of laboratory strains have been established (Oda et al., 1985). Much of the present distribution is the result of human agency (Hutterer and Tranier, 1990). Includes albicauda, auriculata, crassicaudus, duvernoyi, leucura, mauritiana, sacer, and geoffroyi; see Heim de Balsac and Meester (1977). Includes edwardsiana (formerly in Crocidura), luzoniensis, occultidens, and palawanensis; see Heaney et al. (1987).