Common Indian Musk Shrew Or House Shrew (Suncus Murinus Murinus)

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Sinhalese: Hik-miya, Kuru-miya

Tamil: Munge’elli, Munjuru

Description: The “shrew mouse” has an average overall length of 173 mm and the muzzle of the long and pointed head is swollen at the sides. There are well develop musk glands on both flanks. The older individuals are lighter in color then sub-adults.

Distribution: Widespread throughout the Indian region and almost certainly imported long ago. Now well established in lower foothills of the dry zone, as far north as Jaffna.

Habits:  a nocturnal animal living on noxious creatures and tends to drive rodents from human dwellings where it prefer reside. It is there fore useful and beneficial to men. Will occasionally be seen in delight when all is quite. Lives on insects, spiders, cockroaches and worms etc. but will eat dried coconut, fruit and grain (rice).

Breeding: very little is nose known but it presumably follows the habits of other shrews.

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