House shrew, Grey musk shrew, Asian musk shrew, Indian musk shrew, Chuchunder (in India)
The Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus ) is a shrew species native to South and Southeast Asia that has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008 because of its large population and wide distribution. It has been introduced in several West Asian and East African countries.It is considered an invasive species and implicated in the demise of several island lizard species.
It is also called house shrew, grey musk shrew, Asian musk shrew or Indian musk shrew.
The shrew is worshipped as the vehicle mount of the foremost god of Hinduism, Ganesha. Thus it is a taboo to kill a shrew among Hindus.
In Hindi, it is called chuchunder and is mentioned in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book by the name of chuchundra as a nocturnal inhabitant of Indian houses. 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.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Vermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Asian house shrew is a mole-like mammal native to South and Southeast Asia. It has a 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.
Asian house shrews are widely distributed in South and Southeast Asia. They are found in all habitats, including forests, grasslands, savannas, shrubland, wetlands, cultivated areas, and human habitations. They normally live near human settlements, specifically near the house.
Asian house shrews are mainly terrestrial and active year-round. They generally lead a solitary life and come together only to mate and raise young. They are active during the night, spending the day in a burrow or hiding place in human habitations. Asian house shrews have a habit of moving quickly along the edges of the walls when they enter human habitations. As they run they make a chattering sound which resembles the sound of jingling money; this has earned them the name ”money shrew” in China. When alarmed, house shrews make an ear-piercing, high-pitched shriek, resembling the sound of nails scraping a chalkboard or a metal fork scraping glass, which repels house cats. Predators also leave house shrews alone because of their musky smell and even when they catch one by mistake they will rarely eat it. Another remarkable habit of Asian house shrews is that they form a ”caravan” with their young, that is, the young line up behind the mother and follow it while she walks. The first young will hold on to the mother's fur with its teeth, and the subsequent young will do the same with the sibling in front of it.
Asian house shrews are mainly insectivores and consume a wide variety of insects. However, they also eat nuts, fruits, plants, and even human food.
Asian house shrews breed throughout the year, with each female averaging two litters per year. After the gestation period of one month, the female gives birth to 1-8 young per litter (usually 3 young) in a nest made by both parents. The young stay in the nest until they are nearly adults. Weaning usually occurs between 15 and 20 days after birth and they young start breeding when they are around one year old.
There are no major threats to Asian house shrews at present.
According to IUCN, the Asian house shrew is widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Due to their diet habits, Asian house shrews play an important role in controlling insect populations, especially harmful insects such as cockroaches and they also help disperse seeds throughout their ecosystem. These shrews are also food for local predators, especially Brown tree snakes.