Scientific Name: Hylomys parvus

Gymnures are cousins of the hedgehog. The dwarf gymnure resembles a hedgehog in shape, but it has soft, silky fur rather than spines. It is a small animal, about 5-6 inches in length, including the tiny tail. Its fur is a rust-brown verging to grey or yellow on the underbelly.

Dwarf gymnures live in moss forests at high-elevations. Being insectivores, they eat invertebrates, mostly insects and earthworms. They may also eat fallen fruit occasionally. They have home ranges that are approximately 40 meters in diameter, and they forage at infrequent times throughout the day and night, finding their food by rummaging through the leaf litter.

Gymnures are relatively solitary creatures, but are sometimes found in very small groups of two or three animals. They usually build a nest on the forest floor in a pile of leaves or under a rock. They are good climbers but they prefer to stay on the ground. When threatened, they can run quite fast. They may also emit a foul odor to deter predators.

Dwarf gymnures were first discovered in 1918, but they were not considered a valid species until they were fully studied in 1994. They have only been located on Mount Kerinci, which is on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They are highly threatened because of their limited location, and the rapid clearing of their habitat.