Taxon name
Suncus murinus
Linnaeus, 1766
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Suncus murinus
Linnaeus, 1766
Common name(s)
House Shrew, Asian House Shrew, Chika, Chucho, Sucha
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
Linnaeus, 1766
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Due to its wide morphological variation in body size and tail length, individual populations of Asian House Shrews were classified into different subspecies or races by early mammalogists but today most of these subspecies classification have been disrega
Sorex murinus Linnaeas, 1766; Sorex caerulaeus Kerr 1792; Sorex indicus Geoffroy, 1811; Pachyura temminckii Fitzinger, 1868; Pachyura indica Jentink, 1887; Crocidura caerulea Thomas, 1906; Suncus indicus temminckii Cabrera, 1925; Suncus caerulea var. riuk
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
Bangladesh
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Least Concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
It is a highly adaptable species with tolerance of habitat modifications and a commensal of human beings as well as having very wide distribution in Bangladesh. Besides, no major threat is projected for this species. So, this species is categorized as Least Concern.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Shamia Farhana Shoma
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN (2012) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. Second edition. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp; IUCN (2012) Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
http://iucnredlistbd.org/
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
It is found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China, Taiwan, Japan, continental and peninsular Indomalayan Region; introduced into Guam, the Maldive Isls, Philippines, and probably many other islands; introduced in historical times into coastal Africa (Egypt to Tanzania), Madagascar, the Comores, Mauritius, and Réunion, and into coastal Arabia (Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia) (Wilson and Reeder 2005). Widely distributed throughout the country.
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes, in the publication/on website
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
This species is found in a very wide variety of habitats, including forested areas, grasslands, agricultural lands, and in areas associated with human settlements. It is highly adaptable and can colonize at high densities. Typically terrestrial, active during the night, spending the day in a burrow or any hiding places. It is a good swimmer and climber, comes out of its hiding places at dusk with species-specific shrill or squeaky call notes like chik-chikchik from which the common Bengali name Chika has been derived. In addition to natural food it would readily consume food left over in the kitchen or offals dumped at the backyard. It produces an obnoxious smell that nobody likes (Khan 1985, 1987, 2015). It is a voracious insectivore and also opportunistic feeder. It breeds throughout the year, usually producing two litters per year. The gestation period is one month.
History
Not Threatened in Bangladesh (IUCN Bangladesh 2000).
Publication
IUCN Bangladesh. 2015. Red List of Bangladesh Volume 2: Mammals. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. xvi+232
