Saturday 15 June
Hainan gymnure (Hylomys hainanensis)
ENDANGEREDHainan gymnure fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Hainan gymnure description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Erinaceomorpha |
| Family | Erinaceidae |
| Genus | Hylomys (1) |
The Hainan gymnure, despite first appearances, is actually a relative of the hedgehog. It may lack the distinctive prickly spines, but it does have the same elongated head and snout and well-developed eyes and ears (3). The soft, dense fur is a rust-grey colour on the upperparts, with a long, black stripe running down the centre of the back. On the sides, the rust-grey is washed with olive-yellow, blending to pale grey or yellowish-white on the underparts. The small head of the Hainan gymnure is blackish-grey, mixed with brown. The tail, longer than that of other gymnure species, is almost naked, with just a sparse scattering of tiny hairs, as are the ears and feet (2). Like other gymnures, this species probably emits a strong characteristic odour (4).
- Synonyms
- Neohylomys hainanensis.
-
EDGE of Existence:
http://www.edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=45 - Endemic
- A species or taxonomic group that is only found in one particular country or geographic area.
- Gestation
- The state of being pregnant; the period from conception to birth.
- Invertebrates
- Animals with no backbone.
- IUCN/SSC
- The IUCN Species Survival Commission: a network of volunteer experts working together towards achieving the vision of ‘A world that values and conserves present levels of biodiversity’.
- Subterranean
- Living underground.
-
IUCN Red List (September, 2007)
http://www.iucnredlist.org - IUCN. (1995) Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews – Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
- Macdonald, D.W. (2006) The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- Nowak, R.M. (1991) Walker's Mammals of the World. 5th Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London.
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Related species
Hainan gymnure biology
The ecology of this elusive mammal in the wild is not known (2), but it is likely to be similar to that of closely related gymnures. Other Hylomys species feed on invertebrates, such as insects and earthworms, which they find by rummaging through the leaf litter on the forest floor with their long, mobile snout. Active by both day and night, Hylomys species are mostly found on the forest floor, singly or in groups of two to three, but they may also be seen climbing in low bushes. Breeding probably occurs throughout the year, with two or three young being born after a 30 to 35 day gestation period (4)
TopHainan gymnure range
Endemic to Hainan Island, off southern China (2).
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Species with a similar range
Hainan gymnure habitat
The Hainan gymnure has only been recorded in tropical rainforest and subtropical evergreen forest. Originally, this small mammal was believed to be subterranean, but it is now thought more likely to only use burrows as refuges (2).
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Species found in a similar habitat
Hainan gymnure status
Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1).
Hainan gymnure threats
The preferred habitat of the Hainan gymnure, evergreen forest, is under considerable pressure from clearance for timber and the expansion of agriculture (2).
TopHainan gymnure conservation
Although the Hainan gymnure is poorly known, the rate of habitat loss on Hainan Island is great enough to raise serious concern for this species’ survival. It has therefore been recommended by the IUCN/SSC Insectivore, Tree Shrew and Elephant Shrew Specialist Group that its precise distribution and status needs to be determined (2). Such information can be used to inform future conservation measures.
|
View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. |
Find out more
For further information on the Hainan gymnure and its conservation see:
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Glossary
References
More »Related species
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Image credit
Hainan gymnure
© Bosco Chan / Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden
Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden
Lam Kam Road
Tai Po
New Territories
Hong Kong SAR
People's Republic of China
Fax: (852) 2483 1877
mwnlau@kfbg.org
http://www.kfbg.org
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