Talazac-Kleintenrek

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Talasac-Kleintenrek
Systematics
without rank: Afroinsectiphilia
Order : Tenrecus (Afrosoricida)
Family : Tenreks (Tenrecidae)
Subfamily : Travel treks (Oryzorictinae)
Genre : Nesogale
Type : Talasac-Kleintenrek
Scientific name
Nesogale talazaci
( Major , 1896)

The Talazac-Kleintenrek , also Talazac-Kleintanrek or Talazacs Long-tailed Tanrek ( Nesogale talazaci , Syn . : Microgale talazaci ), is a species of mammal from the genus Nesogale within the Tenrek family . Characteristic is the shrew-like appearance with a spindle-shaped body, strong legs and a long, narrow, pointed head, the tail is relatively long. The species is endemic to Madagascar and inhabits the tropical rainforests therethe low to high mountain areas in the east of the island state. It is considered to be comparatively common, but the animals have a rather hidden way of life and use tunnel systems and leaf waste on the ground as hiding places, but sometimes they also climb trees. Mainly insects and other invertebrates serve as food . Reproduction has so far only been studied more closely in human care, one litter contains three to four young animals. The Talazac Kleintenreks were first described in 1896 and the population is not considered endangered.

features

Habitus

The Talazac-Kleintenrek is the larger of the two representatives of the genus Nesogale . The investigation of 22 individuals from the central-eastern parts of Madagascar resulted in a total length of 22.1 to 26.8 cm, resulting in a head-trunk length of 10.0 to 12.8 cm and a tail length of 11.9 distributed up to 15.1 cm. The average body weight was 37.6 g. Body lengths of 10.7 to 12.4 cm, tail lengths of 12.6 to 14.4 cm and a body weight of 31.5 to 39.5 g are given for four animals from the Anjanaharibe massif in northeast Madagascar. Another seven individuals from the nearby Marojejy massif had a head-trunk length of 10.5 to 12.3 cm, their tail was 13.2 to 15.8 cm long and the weight varied between 34.0 and 38, 5 g. In general, the animals have a shrew-like appearance, the body is spindle-shaped, the limbs are short and strong, and the long, narrow head is pointed at the front. The tail becomes slightly longer than the rest of the body, the ears measure between 18 and 20 mm. The back fur is dark brown to brown in color, the underside is tinted gray and has reddish to yellowish-brown washings. The tail is uniformly colored. The limbs end in front and back in five rays, the rear foot becomes 22 to 26 mm long. Females have one pair of teats each in the chest and abdomen area and two pairs in the groin area; the pair of teats on the abdomen can also be missing.

Skull and dentition features

The skull is massive and large. The greatest length varies from 34.5 to 37.7 mm, the greatest width at the skull from 12.0 to 12.9 mm. When fully grown, the cranial sutures are fused and not visible. The rostrum is wide, the barely constricted area behind the orbit has parallel edges and appears stretched. Compared to the anterior section of the skull, the posterior one is rather short. The occiput is angled when viewed from the side; when viewed from above, the joint surfaces for the attachment of the cervical spine are visible. In addition, there are strong bones on the occiput. The zygomatic arches are incompletely formed as in all tenrecs. The dentition consists of 40 teeth with the following dental formula : . In the upper row of teeth, a short diastema is formed between the two inner incisors and between the outer and canine teeth . Here the first incisor exceeds the second in size, in the lower jaw the second incisor again protrudes beyond the canine. The molars correspond to those of the closely related Kleintenreks. They are equipped with a zalambdodont chewing surface pattern consisting of three main cusps. The upper posterior molar is reduced in size, while the corresponding lower molar shows noticeable shortenings, the talonid, a deeper surface in which one of the three main cusps of the upper, opposite molar engages. The entire upper row of teeth reaches a length of 17.2 to 18.7 mm.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the Talazac Kleintenreks

The Talazac-Kleintenrek is endemic to Madagascar . Its distribution area extends in a more or less wide strip from north to south over the eastern part of the island state. It includes important discovery areas in the north such as the Montagne d'Ambre , the Anjanaharibe and Marojejy massifs , the forest area of ​​Ambolokopatrika connecting the two mountain massifs and the forest area of ​​Makira further south and the Masoala peninsula to the east , all of which are located in the province of Antsiranana . There is also evidence of the Tsaratanana massif in the north of the Mahajanga province . In central-eastern Madagascar, animals were observed in the forest area of ​​Ambatovy-Analamay-Torotorofotsy and Analamazaotra in the province of Toamasina , as well as in the forest area of ​​Anjozorobe-Angavo in the border area of ​​the provinces Toamasina and Antananarivo . In contrast, the forest area of ​​Ranomafana in the province of Fianarantsoa is important in the south . Apart from this eastern distribution center there is a small occurrence in the central highlands near Ambohitantely north of Antananarivo in the province of the same name. The preferred habitat consists of intact tropical rainforests in low to high mountain areas, the Talazac-Kleintenrek tends to avoid disturbed forest areas. The altitude distribution ranges from 100 to 2300 m, which is one of the largest ranges within the smaller tenreks. The species is relatively common, in some areas, such as the Montagne d'Ambre or the Masoala Peninsula, it is one of the most frequently observed representatives of the Tenreks.

Way of life

Territorial behavior

The Talazac-Kleintenrek is an inhabitant of dense forests and moves four feet forward in the cloister . Although it is considered to live on the ground and from a skeletal-anatomical point of view shows no adaptations to a climbing way of life, it is also spotted relatively frequently in trees, for example in the forest areas of Ambatovy or Analamazoatra. When running, the animals hold their tails above the ground, in the branches they place them on branches or wrap them around them. However, in contrast to that of the long-tailed small tenreks from the genus Microgale , it has no gripping function . As a rule, the animals live in hiding and scurry through leaf fall or retreat into underground burrows; in more open areas they move forward quickly and crouched to the ground, but they also jump from root to root. They may use widely branched tunnel systems as retreat areas, the corridors of which measure between 1 and 1.5 or 2 and 2.5 cm in diameter. A nest of plants is also laid out in these. To sleep, the Talazac-Kleintenrek rolls up on its side or crouching on its back legs.

The animals probably live largely solitary, but they may also form more stable pairs over the course of the year, which is derived, among other things, from the shared use of tunnel systems. In addition, investigations in the area around Perinet (today's Mantadia Andasibe National Park ) in eastern Madagascar in the 1960s often found male and female animals at short distances of 9 to 18 m from one another. There are no colonies or larger groups. Meetings of same-sex conspecifics often result in threatening gestures such as an open mouth, in bites or in flight. These are accompanied by soft grunts. In general, an animal defends its nest more aggressively than the closely related Dobson Kleintenrek. Further social communication takes place partly via scent marks that are deposited by glands in the cloaca . For comfort behavior also has a "face wash", which is performed on the front feet from top to bottom.

nutrition

The main diet of the Talazac small ternreks is based on insects and other invertebrates and is largely made up of beetle larvae , grasshoppers and dragonflies . Animals in human care also consumed earthworms and young frogs . In search of prey, an animal sniffs under fallen leaves or broken branches, and sometimes digs small holes. Insects are caught with the mouth or held on the ground with the front feet and at the same time cut with the teeth. Sometimes an animal also drags the prey into a shelter, but storage facilities are not created. In contrast to the closely related Dobsonian Kleintenrek ( Nesogale dobsoni ), the Talazac Kleintenrek does not store any fat under the skin or in the tail.

Body temperature varies considerably with outside temperatures of 18.0 to 31.4 ° C and fluctuates between 27.4 and 34.2 ° C. The thermo-neutral zone lies in the range from 28 to 30 ° C, within which the body temperature fluctuates only slightly. Overall, the body temperature is therefore more unstable than with the small tenreks of the genus Microgale and adapts more to the surrounding conditions. However, this seems to differ from person to person, as with some measurements some animals maintained a body temperature of 30 ° C even at very low outside temperatures of up to 6 ° C, while in others it dropped to as low as 20 ° C. The resting metabolic rate corresponds to about 74.4% of the value to be expected in mammals of roughly the same size. It increases considerably in phases of increased physical exertion such as pregnancy or milk production in females.

Reproduction

There are hardly any observations about the reproduction and development of the offspring in the wild. Males with swollen testicles and receptive females and also young animals were spotted on the Anjanaharibe and the Marojejy massif in the period from October to December, and in Perinet from August to February. In animals in human care, multiple births could already be documented in the 1960s and 1980s. The mating ritual consists of rubbing the noses together or rubbing the nose against each other on the flank, back, buttocks and other parts of the body. Then the male sits on the female several times, whereby the actual sexual act only lasts a few seconds. The gestation period is estimated to be 58 to 63 days. During this phase the female gains up to 47% in body weight, in one examined animal it was a total of 21 g, so that it weighed 66 g shortly before the birth of the offspring.

Most of the litters were between September and March, and another from 1969 in July. Usually three to four cubs are born, as Nesthocker have no fur and have closed eyes and ears. The average birth weight is 3.7 g, a measured newborn had a head-trunk length of 43 and a tail length of 27 mm. The young gain around 0.25 g in weight every day and grow by 1.2 to 2.3 mm. After about four weeks they open their eyes. At this point they begin to eat solid food for the first time and also actively prey on them. Male animals do not take part in raising the young themselves. The natural life expectancy of the Talazac lesser tenreks is unknown, animals in human care have so far survived up to five and a half years.

Predators and parasites

The barn owl and the Malegasse owl appear as predators , in the latter case the Talazac-Kleintenrek on the Masoala peninsula is the second most preyed animal in the period from 1994 to 1996 with 31.5% of individuals and almost 22% of biomass Parasites have been identified with fleas of the genus Paractenopsyllus , while the single-cell Eimeria and whipworms have been identified as internal parasites .

Systematics

Internal systematics of the Tenreks according to Everson et al. 2016
 Tenrecidae  
  Tenrecinae  


 Echinops


   

 Setifer



   

 Hemicentetes


   

 Tenrec




   
  Geogalinae  

 Geogals


  Oryzorictinae  

 Oryzorictes


   
  Nesogale  

 Nesogale dobsoni


   

 Nesogale talazaci



   

 Microgale






Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

The Talazac-Kleintenrek is a species from the genus Nesogale , which continues to be assigned to the Dobson-Kleintenrek ( Nesogale dobsoni ). Nesogale in turn belongs to the family of tenrecs (Tenrecidae), one endemic in Madagascar occurring group of mammals with various adaptations to insect- and carnivora innovative diet. Within the Tenreks, Nesogale, together with the Kleintenreks ( Microgale ) and the rice burrowers ( Oryzorictes ), form the subfamily of the rice treks (Oryzorictinae). According to genetic analyzes, the Kleintenreks are the closest relatives of Nesogale . Originally, the Talazac and Dobsonian Kleintenrek were considered members of the Kleintenreks, the most extensive group of Tenreks, which shows a high level of diversity with ground-living, digging, tree-climbing or water-dwelling forms . As early as 1918, however, Oldfield Thomas had hived off both species from the Kleintenreks and placed them in Nesogale because of their larger body structure and massive skull design . The new genre assignment was partially adopted in the following years , such as by Terence Morrison-Scott in 1948. Sometimes Nesogale was only considered a sub-genus of Microgale , for example in the 1970s by John F. Eisenberg and Edwin Gould or by Henri Heim de Balsac , until it was then completely reintegrated into the Kleintenreks by Ross DE MacPhee in a revision of the Kleintenreks in 1987. Molecular genetic studies from 2016, however, revealed an early separation of Nesogale from the other small tenreks, which had already occurred in the Lower Miocene around 19.4 million years ago. This gave cause to separate Nesogale from Microgale and to raise it to an independent genus status.

As with numerous other representatives of the smaller tenreks, no fossil material is known from the Talazac small tenrek . However, there are reports of subfossil remains from the rock overhang Lakoton'i Akanga near Antsiranana , which possibly go back to a shelter of Cryptoprocta .

The first scientific description of the Talazac-Kleintenreks was in 1896 by Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major under the name Microgale talazaci . It is based on a single, female individual that comes from Vinanitelo. This mountain ridge about 1290 m high, about 50 km southeast of Fianarantsoa and 10 km south-southeast of Vohitrafeno, forms the type area of ​​the species. The holotype , which has a body length of 12.4 cm and a tail length of 11.9 cm, was collected by Major himself been. He recognized a closer relationship to the Dobsonian Kleintenrek, from the same site Major described the very small Gnome Kleintenrek ( Microgale pusilla ) in the same year , albeit in a different article. With the species name talazaci , the first descriptor honored Père Talazac, a French missionary. Major only had the single copy available, only the Mission Zoologique Franco-Anglo-Americaine from the period from 1929 to 1931 with the participation of Austin Loomer Rand and the expeditions of Cecil S. Webb between 1939 and 1945 brought new knowledge. From the latter a good two dozen individuals were collected, which Morrison-Scott used in 1948 for the revision of the species.

Threat and protection

The IUCN classifies the Talazac lesser tenreks as “not threatened” ( least concern ). The assessment is based on the wide distribution of the species and the assumed large population . Local hazards arise from loss of habitat. This can be traced back to the clearing of forests to convert them into agricultural land, to extensive removal of construction timber or to forest fires. The animals are represented in numerous nature reserves, so in Amber Mountain National Park , the National Park Marojejy , in Ranomafana National Park , the National Park Mantadia Andasibe , in Andringitra National Park and the National Park Andohahela .

literature

  • JF Eisenberg and Edwin Gould: The Tenrecs: A Study in Mammalian Behavior and Evolution. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970, pp. 1-138
  • Paulina D. Jenkins: Tenrecidae (Tenrecs and Shrew tenrecs). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 134-172 (p. 167) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
  • Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major: Diagnoses of new mammals from Madagascar. The Annals and magazine of natural history 18, 1896, pp. 318–321 ( [3] )

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c P. J. Stephenson: Taxonomy of shrew-tenrecs (Microgale ssp.) From eastern and central Madagascar. Journal of Zoology 235, 1995, pp. 339-359
  2. ↑ a b c d e Steven M. Goodman and Paulina D. Jenkins: The Insectivores of the Réserve Spéciale d'Anjanaharibe-Sud, Madagascar. Fieldiana Zoology 90, 1998, pp. 139-161
  3. ↑ a b c d e Steven M. Goodman and Paulina D. Jenkins: Tenrecs (Lipotyphla; Tenrecidae) of the Parc National de Marojejy, Madagascar. Fieldana Zoology 97, 2000, pp. 201-229
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j J. F. Eisenberg and Edwin Gould: The Tenrecs: A Study in Mammalian Behavior and Evolution. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970, pp. 1-138
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g Paulina D. Jenkins: Tenrecidae (Tenrecs and Shrew tenrecs). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 134-172 (p. 167) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
  6. ↑ Christopher J. Raxworthy and Ronald A. Nussbaum: A rainforest survey of amphibians, reptiles and small mammals at Montagne d'Ambre, Madgascar. Biological Conservation 69, 1994, pp. 65-73
  7. ↑ Voahangy Soarimalala and Steven M. Goodman: Diversité biologique the micromammifères non volants (Lipotyphla et Rodentia) dans le complexe Marojejy Anjanaharibe-sud. In: Steven M. Goodman and Lucienne Wilmé (eds.): Nouveaux résultats faisant référence à l'altitude dans la région des massifs montagneux de Marojejy et d'Anjanaharibe-sud. Recherche pour le développement, Série Sciences biologiques, Center d'Information et de Documentation Scientifique et Technique 19, 2003, pp. 231-276
  8. ^ Franco Andreone, Jasmin E. Randrianirina, Paula D. Jenkins and Gennaro Aprea: Species diversity of Amphibia, Reptilia and Lipotyphla (Mammalia) at Ambolokopatrika, a rainforest between the Anjanaharibe-Sud and Marojejy massifs, NE Madagascar. Biodiversity and Conservation 9, 2000, pp. 1587-1622
  9. ↑ Zafimahery Rakotomalala, Vonjy Andrianjakarivelo, Volatiana Rasataharilala and Steven M. Goodman: Les petits mammifères non volant de la forêt de Makira, Madagascar. Bulletin de la Société zoologique de France 132, 2007, pp. 205-221
  10. ↑ Vonjy Andrianjiakarivelo, Emilienne Razafimahatratra, Yvette Razafindrakoto and Steven M. Goodman: The terrestrial small mammals of the Parc National de Masoala, northeastern Madagascar. Acta Theriologica 50 (4), 2005, pp. 537-549
  11. ↑ Voahangy Soarimalala: Exploitation des bois à précieux Masoala, Madagascar: quel impact sur les tenrecs? Afrotherian Conservation 14, 2018, pp. 20–32
  12. ^ R. Albignac: Mammifères et oiseaux du Massif du Tsaratanana (Madagascar North). Mémoirs Orstrom 37, 1970, pp. 223-229
  13. ↑ Claudette Patricia Maminirina, Steven M. Goodman and Christopher J. Raxworthy: Les microammifères (Mammalia, Rodentia, Afrosoricida et Soricomorpha) du du massif Tsaratanana et biogeography of Forests de montagne de Madagascar. Zoosystema 30 (3), 2008, pp. 695-721
  14. ↑ a b Voahangy Soarimalala and Martin Raheriarisena: The non-volant and non-primate mammals of the Ambatovy Analamay forest. In: Steven. M. Goodman and V. Mass (Eds.): Biodiversity, exploration, and conservation of the natural habitats associated with the Ambatovy project. Malagasy Nature 3, 2010, pp. 153-177
  15. ^ A b P. J. Stephenson: The small mammal fauna of Réserve Spéciale d'Analamazaotra, Madagascar: the effects of human disturbance on endemic species diversity. Biodiversity and Conservation 2, 1993, pp. 603-615
  16. ↑ Voahangy Soarimalala, Landryh T. Ramanana, José M. Ralison and Steven M. Goodman: Les petits mammifères non-volants du “Couloir forestier d'Anjozorobe - Angavo”. In: Steven M. Goodman, Achille P. Raselimanana and Lucienne Wilmé (eds.): Inventaires de la faune et de la flore du couloir forestier d'Anjozorobe - Angavo. Recherche pour le développement, Série Sciences biologiques, Center d'Information et de Documentation Scientifique et Technique 24, 2007, pp. 141-182
  17. ↑ Steven M. Goodman and Daniel Rakotondravony: The effects of forest fragmentation and isolation on insectivorous small mammals (Lipotyphla) on the Central High Plateau of Madagascar. Journal of the Linnean Society of London 250, 2000, pp. 193-200
  18. ↑ Paulina D. Jenkins, Christopher J. Raxworthy and Ronald A. Nussbaum: A new species of Microgale (Insectivora, Tenrecidae), with comments on the status of four other taxa of shrew tenrecs. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum of London (Zoology) 63 (1), 1997, pp. 1-12
  19. ^ A b P. J. Stephenson, Voahangy Soarimalala and Steven M. Goodman: Microgale talazaci. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. e.T41315A97202475 ( [1] ); last accessed on December 8, 2016
  20. ^ Justine A. Salton and Eric J. Sargis: Evolutionary morphology of the Tenrecoidea (Mammalia) carpal complex. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 93, 2008, pp. 267-288
  21. ^ Justine A. Salton and Eric J. Sargis: Evolutionary Morphology of the Tenrecoidea (Mammalia) Forelimb Skeleton. In: EJ Sargis and M. Dagosto (Eds.): Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology: A Tribute to Frederick S. Szalay, Springer Science, 2008, pp. 51-71.
  22. ↑ a b c d Peter J. Stephenson, Paul A. Racey and Félix Rakotondraparany: Maintenance and reproduction of tenrecs (Tenrecidae) at Parc Tsimbazaza, Madagascar. International Zoo Yearbook 33, 1994, pp. 194-201
  23. ↑ a b c P. J. Stephenson and PA Racey: Reproductive energetics of the Tenrecidae (Mammalia: Insectivora), II; the shrew-tenrecs (Microgale spp.) Physiological Zoology 66, 993, pp. 664-685
  24. ^ PJ Stephenson, JR Speakman and PA Racey: Field metabolic rate in two species of shrew-tenrec, Microgale dobsoni and M. talazaci. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 107A (2), 1994, pp. 283-287
  25. ↑ John F. Eisenberg: Tenrecs and solenodons in captivity. International Zoo Yearbook 15, 1975, pp. 6-12
  26. ↑ Richard Weigl: Longevity of mammals in captivity; from the Living Collections of the world A list of mammalian longevity in captivity. Kleine Senckenberg series, Volume 48, 2005, pp. 1–214 (p. 34)
  27. ↑ Steven M. Goodman, Paulina D. Jenkins and Olivier Langrand: Exceptional records of Microgale species (Insectivore: Tenrecidae) in vertebrate food remains. Bonn zoological contributions 47 (1/2), 1997, pp. 135-138
  28. ↑ Steven M. Goodman and Russell Thorstrom: The Diet of the Madagascar Red Owl (Tyto soumagnei) on the Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar. The Wilson Bulletin 110 (3), 1998, pp. 417-421
  29. ↑ Jean-Claude Beaucournu, H. Rico Randrenjarison Andriniaina and Steven M. Goodman: Puces (Insecta: Siphonaptera) d'Ambohitantely, Madagascar: Spécificité et phenologie. Malagasy Nature 9, 2015, pp. 39-48
  30. ↑ J.-B. Duchemin: Leptopsyllines from Madagascar (Insecta: Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae): Description of five new species of Paractenopsyllus Wagner, (1938). Parasite 11, 2004, pp. 59-70
  31. ↑ Michael W. Hastriter and Carl W. Dick: A description of Paractenopsyllus madagascarensis sp. n. and the female of Paractenopsyllus raxworthyi Duchemin & Ratovonjato, 2004 (Siphonaptera, Leptopsyllidae) from Madagascar with a key to the species of Paractenopsyllus. ZooKeys 13, 2009, pp. 43-55
  32. ↑ Lee Couch, Juha Laakkonen, Steven Goodman, and Donald W. Duszynski: Two New Eimerians (Apicomplexa) from Insectivorous Mammals in Madagascar. Journal of Parasitology 97 (2), 2011, pp. 293-296
  33. ↑ a b Kathryn M. Everson, Voahangy Soarimalala, Steven M. Goodman and Link E. Olson: Multiple loci and complete taxonomic sampling resolve the phylogeny and biogeographic history of tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and reveal higher speciation rates in Madagascar's humid forests. Systematic Biology 65 (5), 2016, pp. 890-909 doi: 10.1093 / sysbio / syw034
  34. ↑ Oldfield Thomas: On the arrangement of the small Tenrecidae hitherto referred to Oryzorictes and Microgale. Annals and magazine of natural history 14, 1918, pp. 302–307 ( [2] )
  35. ^ A b T. CS Morrison-Scott: The Insectivorous Genera Microgale and Nesogale (Madagascar). Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 118, 1948, pp. 817-822
  36. ^ Henri Heim de Balsac: Insectivores. In: R. Battistini and G. Richard-Vindard (eds.): Biogeography and ecology in Madagascar. The Hague, 1972, pp. 629-660
  37. ↑ a b R. DE MacPhee: The Shrew Tenrecs of Madagascar: Systematic revision and distribution of Holocene Microgale (Tenrecidae, Insectivora). American Museum Novitates 2889, 1987, pp. 1-45
  38. ^ Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major: Description of four additional new mammals from Madagascar. The Annals and magazine of natural history 18, 1896, pp. 461-463
  39. ^ Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major: Diagnoses of new mammals from Madagascar. The Annals and magazine of natural history 18, 1896, pp. 318-321

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