Synopsis of Philippine Mammals

Urogale everetti
(Thomas, 1892). Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, 9:250. Type locality: Zamboanga, Mindanao Island.

© The Field Museum. Photograph by R Banasiak.

Order: SCANDENTIA
Family: Tupaiidae
Common Name: Mindanao tree shrew

Identification:
Total length 345-390 mm; tail 130-185 mm; hind foot 47-51 mm; ear 17-21 mm; weight 180-268 g. A squirrel-like animal with a long furry tail, large eyes, and a long, rather narrow snout. Its dorsal fur is dark brown or reddish-brown, with a faint pale stripe several cm long extending from near the base of the ear posteriorly and slightly upwards toward the midline. The ventral fur is sparse, and orange-brown or dark rusty brown in color. The upper and lower tooth-rows are complete, without the gap between incisors and molars shown by all rodents (including squirrels). There are long claws on all five toes on the forefeet, unlike tree squirrels (Sundasciurus) which have a small, inconspicuous claw on the short first digit (“thumb”). Tree squirrels also have a short, blunt snout and a bushier tail. Batomys salomonseni is similar in size, but has a tail that is only thinly haired, and a short, blunt snout.

Distribution:
Philippines only; endemic to Mindanao, Dinagat, and Siargao. Recorded from Dinagat (DMNH), Mindanao (Bukidnon [FMNH], Davao del Sur [FMNH], Lanao del Norte [MVZ], Misamis Occidental [FMNH], South Cotabato [AMNH], Sultan Kudarat [FMNH], Zamboanga del Norte [DMNH], and Zamboanga del Sur [USNM] provinces), and Siargao (DMNH).

© The Field Museum

Habitat and Ecology:
Common to scarce in primary and secondary forest from 750 m to 2500 m, apparently most common in montane forest from 1200 to 1800 m. They are diurnal, with an activity peak in early morning. They forage both on the ground and in low trees and shrubs, feeding primarily on insects, occasionally on earthworms and soft fruit, and rarely on small vertebrates. A female was recorded with 2 embryos (Musser & Heaney, 1992; Sanborn, 1952; Heaney et al., 2006).

© The Field Museum. Photograph by LR Heaney. From Mindanao Island,
Bukidnon Province.

Status:
Widespread and locally common in forest on Dinagat and Mindanao, but some habitat has been lost in lowland forest due to widespread clearing (Heaney et al., 2006).

Comments:
Some geographic variation is present (Heaney and Rabor, 1982; Heaney et al., 2006; Helgen, 2005) and requires further investigation. Roberts et al. (2009) showed that Urogale may not be distinct from Tupaia; additional study of its relationships is needed.

Back to Search by Species. >>