Kalinga shrew mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kalinga shrew mouse |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Soricomys |
| Species: |
S. kalinga
|
| Binomial name | |
| Soricomys kalinga Balete, Rickart & Heaney, 2006
|
|
 |
|
| Distribution of S. kalinga (orange) | |
| Script error: The function "autoWithCaption" does not exist. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Archboldomys kalinga |
|
Script error: No such module "Check for conflicting parameters".
The Kalinga shrew mouse (Soricomys kalinga) is a small rodent that looks a bit like a shrew. It lives in the northern part of the Philippines, specifically in the Kalinga province on the island of Luzon. This unique mouse belongs to a group of animals called Soricomys.
Contents
Where the Kalinga Shrew Mouse Lives
The Kalinga shrew mouse was first discovered on March 30, 2000, in a place called Magdallao. It was found high up in the mountains, about 1,600 meters (5,250 feet) above sea level. More of these mice were found in other mountain areas nearby, including Am licao and Mount Bali-it. These places are all located in the barangays (which are like small towns or villages) of Balbalasang and Balbalan.
Mountain Homes of the Shrew Mouse
This shrew mouse prefers to live in different types of forests found in the mountains. These include:
- Montane forests: These are forests that grow at high altitudes.
- Mossy forests: These are very damp forests where trees are covered in moss.
The Kalinga shrew mouse can be found in both old, untouched forests and forests that have started to grow back after being disturbed.
Its Place in the Philippines
The Kalinga shrew mouse is special because it represents its group, Soricomys, in the northern part of the Cordillera Central mountain range on Luzon. Other types of Soricomys mice live in different parts of the Philippines. For example, the A. musseri lives in the Sierra Madre mountains, and the A. luzonensis is found on Mount Isarog. Scientists have not yet found this type of mouse in other mountain areas of Luzon.
What the Kalinga Shrew Mouse Does
The Kalinga shrew mouse is active during the daytime. This means it searches for food and moves around when the sun is out.
What It Eats
This mouse mainly eats small animals without backbones, which are called invertebrates. Its favorite foods include:
- Earthworms
- Various insects
What the Kalinga Shrew Mouse Looks Like
Like all mice in the Soricomys group, the Kalinga shrew mouse is a small animal that lives on the ground. It has a pointed nose, small ears, and thin feet.
Body and Fur
Its tail is a little shorter than its head and body combined. The fur on its body is thick but shorter than that of other similar mice.
- Top side: The fur on its back is orange-brown. This color slowly fades into a lighter shade on its belly.
- Individual hairs: Each hair on its back has three colors: dark gray at the bottom, a black section in the middle, and an orange tip.
- Underside: The fur on its belly is shorter and much paler.
Head Features
The Kalinga shrew mouse has small, round, black ears. Its lips and nose are dark gray and have no fur. It has light gray whiskers that are quite short, but still longer than those of other shrew mouse species.
Feet and Claws
- Front feet: These are dark gray and black, with no fur on the top or bottom. The underside of its front feet has five small bumps, called cusps. Its dark fingers have long, narrow claws, except for its thumb, which has a short nail.
- Hind feet: The top of its back feet are brownish-gray with a few short hairs. Its toes are darker.
- Tail: The tail is fairly long and completely black.
 | Lonnie Johnson |
 | Granville Woods |
 | Lewis Howard Latimer |
 | James West |
