An international team of biologists from the United States and Germany has discovered a new species of shrew living in a forested area on Mt. Mantalingahan, a mountain on Palawan Island in the Philippines.
An illustration of the Palawan moss shrew (Palawanosorex muscorum). Image credit: Velizar Simeonovski, Field Museum of Natural History.
Named the Palawan moss shrew (Palawanosorex muscorum), the new species was first spotted in 2007 by the late Danilo ‘Danny’ Balete, field survey leader and research associate at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, IL.
The shrew has a slender, pointed snout and dark coat. Unlike other shrews, its tail is covered in dense fur rather than visible scales.
With broad forefeet and long claws, the Palawan moss shrew digs through humus in search of its favorite snack: earthworms.
The researchers analyzed these anatomical traits to determine that the Palawan moss shrew was a distinct species.
“The Philippines is such a hotbed for mammalian biodiversity that finding the Palawan moss shrew didn’t exactly shock us,” said team leader Dr. Larry Heaney, Negaunee Curator of Mammals at the Larry Heaney, Negaunee Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum in Chicago.
“In many ways, finding this species was exactly what we had expected.”
“It provides some clues about how small mammals have evolved and moved between Asia and Africa,” added team member Dr. Jacob Esselstyn, from the Museum of Natural Science at Louisiana State University.
“In other words, the Palawan moss shrew might help us figure out how the Philippines’ many mammal species got there in the first place.”
The Palawan moss shrew’s home is a hotbed within a hotbed. Mt. Mantalingahan is habitat to three unique mammal species, including the shrew.
“There are entire countries that don’t have three unique mammal species — so for there to be three species on one mountain, on one island, in one country is really something,” Dr. Heaney said.
“Beyond the economic implications of the shrew’s discovery, we hope the new species sparks excitement among the Filipino and international scientific communities, which in turn can help encourage research, conservation, and advocacy efforts.”
“People in the world get excited about the cool things that live in their country,” he added.
“The fact that the Philippines is such a unique hotspot for mammalian diversity is something people should be aware of, something that people can take pride in.”
The evidence for the distinct species of shrew on Palawan Island is outlined in the Journal of Mammalogy.
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Rainer Hutterer et al. A new genus and species of shrew (Mammalia: Soricidae) from Palawan Island, Philippines. Journal of Mammalogy, published online May 8, 2018; doi: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy041
