Asian House Shrew | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Eulipotyphla |
Family: | Soricidae |
Genus: | Suncus |
Species: | S. murinus[1]
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Binomial name | |
Suncus murinus[1] (Linnaeus, 1766)
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Asian house shrew range (blue — native, red — introduced) | |
Synonyms | |
Sorex murinus Linnaeus, 1766 |
The Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus) is a type of shrew. It is native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the largest type of shrew. It is a least concern species. It has been introduced in several West Asian and East African countries.[3] It is an invasive species.[4]
The Asian house shrew is 100 mm and 150 mm long. An adult female weighs between 23.5 g and 82.0 g. An adult male weighs from 33.2 g to 147.3 g.[5] It has short, dense fur. It is mid-grey to brownish-grey color.[6]
The Asian house shrew is native to South and Southeast Asia. It was introduced to eastern Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, the Philippines and other islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.[3]
It is found in forests, agricultural lands, and in places with lots of human activity. It is also found in many houses and businesses. It is mainly a terrestrial animal.[5]
It is mainly an insectivore. It eats insects, mammals, plants and human food.[5]
It very adaptable species. They are nocturnal. They are thought to mainly live by themselves.[5]
They breed throughout the year. It gives birth to one to eight young ones. The gestation period is one month. It starts breeding when it is around one year old.[7]
It helps to control the population of many pests. It is an invasive species. They compete with many types of plants and animals. It is also a pest. It can damage food and other materials found in homes and businesses.[5]