Suncus murinus
Encyclopedia
The Asian House Shrew (Suncus murinus), or the Asian Musk Shrew, is a widespread, adaptable species of shrew
found mainly in South Asia
but introduced widely throughout Asia.
This species is locally called Chuchunder and is mentioned in Rudyard Kipling
's Jungle Book, as a nocturnal inhabitant of houses in India, by the name of Chuchundra. However, Kipling's mistaken use of the name 'musk rat' has led to confusion with the unrelated North American muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and the latter species, not found in India, was (erroneously) illustrated in the Jungle Book.
These shrews have a habit of running slowly along the edges of the walls when they enter human habitations. It is widespread and found in all habitats including deserts and human habitations. Studies on this shrew have suggested its suitability for use in laboratory studies.
Suncus murinus has an extremely wide range of distribution throughout the oriental region. In most of the range it was introduced by man. They are also found in eastern Africa, Madagascar, other islands in the Indian ocean (Reunion, Comoros), Pacific ocean (Guam, etc.), southern Japan, Asia, Thailand, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak), Kalimantan, Brunei and throughout Iran and Arabia to Egypt. It might also be present in New Guinea.
The habitat of this species is normally near human settlement, specifically near the house. Some also live on the ground in leaf litter and grass. Apart from that, some of the species have been recorded up to 2825m near Darjeeling, West Bengal, but only to 300m in Taiwan.
They have uniform short dense fur of mid-grey to brownish-grey color. The tail is thick at the base and a bit narrower at the tip, and is covered with a few long, bristle-like hairs that are thinly scattered. They have short legs with five clawed toes. They have small external ears and an elongated snout. They also emit a strong odor of musk, derived from musk glands that are sometimes visible on each side of the body. The odor is especially noticeable during the breeding season.
S. murinus is a commensal
species. It is a voracious animal with little resistance to starvation. It is active during the day and night but only for a short period of time. This species is an insectivore. They breed throughout the year with each female averaging two litters per year, usually size three. It can be considered beneficial to humans because its diet consists mostly of harmful insects where it can be a biological pesticide. Despite this, they are often mistaken for rats or mice and killed as vermin, in part due to the strong odour of their droppings which they may deposit in human dwellings. This house shrew is categorized as a species of Least Concern
on the IUCN Red List
.
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
found mainly in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
but introduced widely throughout Asia.
This species is locally called Chuchunder and is mentioned in Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's Jungle Book, as a nocturnal inhabitant of houses in India, by the name of Chuchundra. However, Kipling's mistaken use of the name 'musk rat' has led to confusion with the unrelated North American muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), and the latter species, not found in India, was (erroneously) illustrated in the Jungle Book.
These shrews have a habit of running slowly along the edges of the walls when they enter human habitations. It is widespread and found in all habitats including deserts and human habitations. Studies on this shrew have suggested its suitability for use in laboratory studies.
Suncus murinus has an extremely wide range of distribution throughout the oriental region. In most of the range it was introduced by man. They are also found in eastern Africa, Madagascar, other islands in the Indian ocean (Reunion, Comoros), Pacific ocean (Guam, etc.), southern Japan, Asia, Thailand, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak), Kalimantan, Brunei and throughout Iran and Arabia to Egypt. It might also be present in New Guinea.
The habitat of this species is normally near human settlement, specifically near the house. Some also live on the ground in leaf litter and grass. Apart from that, some of the species have been recorded up to 2825m near Darjeeling, West Bengal, but only to 300m in Taiwan.
S. murinus is a commensal
Commensalism
In ecology, commensalism is a class of relationship between two organisms where one organism benefits but the other is neutral...
species. It is a voracious animal with little resistance to starvation. It is active during the day and night but only for a short period of time. This species is an insectivore. They breed throughout the year with each female averaging two litters per year, usually size three. It can be considered beneficial to humans because its diet consists mostly of harmful insects where it can be a biological pesticide. Despite this, they are often mistaken for rats or mice and killed as vermin, in part due to the strong odour of their droppings which they may deposit in human dwellings. This house shrew is categorized as a species of Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.