Tenrecidae Author Russell A. Mittermeier Author Don E. Wilson text 2018 2018-07-31 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos 134 172 book chapter 10.5281/zenodo.6808230 e219b7cf-baff-4e8f-8253-d785c8f4e1ab 978-84-16728-08-4 6808230 21. Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec Microgale gymnorhyncha French: Microgale a museau nu / German: Nacktnasen-Kleintenrek / Spanish: Tenrec musarana de hocico desnudo Taxonomy. Microgale gymnorhyncha Jenkins, Goodman & Raxworthy, 1996 , “38 km S Ambalavao, RNI [= Réserve Naturelle Intégrale] d’Andringitra, on ridge E of Volotsangana River, Fianarantsoa Province [eastern Madagascar], 22°11°39”S 46°58’16”E, altitude 1625 m.” Microgale gymnorhyncha forms a clade with M. dryas . Monotypic. Distribution. N, Central Highlands, E & SE Madagascar. Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-101 mm, tail 59-75 mm, ear 11-18 mm, hindfoot 14-20 mm; weight 14-26 g. Tail of the Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec is generally less than 90% of head-body length. Pelage is soft and lustrous, gray-brown dorsally and gray ventrally; tail is gray-brown above, grading into paler below. Proboscis is very long, and rhinarium is very large, with transversely striated naked region extending postero-dorsally for ¢.6-7 mm. Eyes are very small; ears are small and virtually concealed in pelage. Forefeet are broad, with moderately enlarged claws on middle three digits. Habitat. Humid forests at elevations of 595-2525 m. Food and Feeding. A combination of morphological characteristics suggests that the Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec includes soil invertebrates in its diet. Breeding. Three embryos were found in one wild-caught Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec , and another had three placental scars. Two females were lactating in December. Activity patterns. Based on morphology, Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrecs are terrestrial, surface foragers, and semi-fossorial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Naked-nosed Shrew Tenrec is widely distributed and occurs in some protected areas. Its overall population is presumably large but probably decreasing. Major threats at lower elevations are habitat loss and degradation due to pastoral grazing, use offire for forest clearing, and deforestation. Bibliography. Everson et al. (2016), Goodman & Jenkins (1998, 2000), Goodman, Jenkins & Pidgeon (1999), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Jenkins (2003), Jenkins et al. (1996), Olson & Goodman (2003), Soarimalala & Goodman (2011), Stephenson et al. (2016aa).