The Malayan water shrew (''Chimarrogale hantu''), also known as the hantu water shrew, is a
red-toothed shrew recorded only from the
Malaysian state of
Selangor. It was listed as a critically endangered, but is now considered near threatened.
It gets its scientific name ''hantu'' from the
Malay
Malay may refer to:
Languages
* Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore
** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century
** Indonesi ...
word for
ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...
.
Anatomy
The Malayan water shrew has a white underside, a black coat along its top and sides and a fringe of bristles running along the surface of the tail and on the paws which act as swimming aids. The teeth have red tips. The Malayan water shrew can grow up to about in height and in length.
Habitat
The Malayan water shrew lives in the
Tropical Rainforests of
Peninsula Malaysia. It lives mainly by fresh water lakes and rivers surrounded by vegetation and spends much of its time underwater. Underwater this shrew likes to stay in leafy areas to avoid predators and surprise its prey, which include fish, frogs and plants.
References
External links
*
*
Chimarrogale
Endemic fauna of Malaysia
Endemic fauna of Selangor
Mammals of Malaysia
EDGE species
Mammals described in 1958
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