MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENETIC-VARIATION IN SUNCUS-MURINUS (SORICIDAE, CROCIDURINAE) FROM JAVA, LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS, MALUKU AND SULAWESI, INDONESIA

Morphological variation in skull, dental and external characters of 13 2 specimens of Suncus murinus from Java, Ball, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku a nd Sulawesi, were analysed using univariate and multivariate statistic al techniques. Variation between adult S. murinus was principally asso ciated with geographic factors. Overall body size, as indicated separa tely by condyloincisor length and body weight, was significantly corre lated with distance from potential mainland, or large island source ar eas, and with island area. Suncus murinus was also sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females for most characters studied. Thr ee subspecies were recognised: S. m. murinus (Java, Ball); S. m. mulle ri (Nusa Tenggara, Kai Besar, Banda Neira, Ambon, Mangole, Sulawesi) a nd S., murinus subsp. nov. (Seram). Genetic variability within five is land populations of Suncus murinus (Ball, Flores, Adonara, Lembata, Su lawesi) approached the mammalian average. Genetic distances were also typical of those observed for conspecific mammalian populations. There was no indication that S. m. mulleri was genetically distinct from S. m. murinus.