Asiatic short-tailed shrews
| Asiatic short-tailed shrews | ||||||||||||
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| Thomas , 1911 |
The Asian short-tailed shrews ( Blarinella ) are three species of shrews living in East Asia .
features
Asian short-tailed shrews are physically similar to the American short-tailed shrews , although they are not particularly closely related to them. Their physique is adapted to a partially burrowing way of life: the claws of the front and rear paws are enlarged, the ears are small and hidden in the fur and the tail is relatively short (only about half as long as the body). The fur is dark gray to dark brown on the upper side, the underside is somewhat lighter in all species except Blarinella quadraticauda .
These animals reach body lengths of 6 to 8 centimeters and a weight of 10 to 15 grams, with Blarinella wardi being the smallest and Blarinella quadraticauda being the largest.
distribution
Asian short-tailed shrews are native to southwest China ( Yunnan , Shaanxi , Sichuan and Gansu provinces ) and northern Myanmar . Little is known about their way of life. They are allowed to create tunnels in loose soil or in plant material lying on the ground and feed on insects.
Systematics
Some systematics group all animals into one species ( Blarinella quadraticauda ), but more recent works differentiate between three species:
- Blarinella griselda is common from Gansu to Yunnan.
- Blarinella quadraticauda occurs only in western Sichuan.
- Blarinella wardi is native to Yunnan and northern Myanmar.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
Web links
- Endangerment level of the individual species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- Illustration