Everything about Gymnure totally explained
Gymnures, also called
Hairy Hedgehogs or
Moon Rats, are
mammals belonging to the subfamily
Galericinae, in the family
Erinaceidae and the order
Erinaceomorpha. Although more closely related to
moles, they look like very large
rats.
Distribution and appearance
Gymnures inhabit moist jungle terrain in various locales of Southeast
Asia, including
Vietnam,
Sumatra,
China and the
Malay Peninsula.
Although its closest relative is the
hedgehog, full grown specimens more closely resemble large
rats, or the North American
Virginia Opossum, (
Didelphis virginianis), with which it shares similar habits and ecological niches (an example of
parallel evolution).
The gymnure's body plan is believed to resemble that of the earliest mammals, with a large toothy head about 1/3rd the length of the total body, a naked furless tail for balance and
thermoregulatory purposes, and a
plantigrade stance.
They also have an outstanding sense of smell, and tactile response in the snout region. The somewhat related
star-nosed moles have noses so innervated that they can readily detect and discern microscopic texture features.
Way of life
Gymnures are primarily
carnivorous. They are
nocturnal or
crepuscular: they come out to forage at twilight or in the night to search the forest floor, using smell to find the animals that they eat. Gymnures eat various
arthropods,
mice, small
reptiles and
amphibians, with occasional fruit and
fungi.
Gymnures keep territories, and individuals are solitary except when breeding. Gymnures have a very strong scent, typically described as a rancid
garlic or
onion smell, which is produced by its territory-marking scent glands. Several creatures similar in form and niche, such as the
opossum and
solenodon smell similar to the gymnure.
Classification
This subfamily has alternately been called Echinosoricinae, Gymnurinae, and Hylomyinae. Some researchers prefer Hylomyinae because the specific relationships of the extinct genus
Galerix to living erinaceids are uncertain.
There are eight species in five genera:
[
Genus Echinosorex
Genus Hylomys
Genus Neohylomys
Genus Neotetracus
Genus Podogymnura
Further Information]
Get more info on 'Gymnure'.
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