Chinese shrew
| Chinese shrew | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sorex sinalis | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1912 |
The Chinese shrew ( Sorex sinalis ) is a species of shrew from the genus of the red- toothed shrew ( Sorex ). It occurs in the provinces of Gansu , Sichuan and Shaanxi in the People's Republic of China .
features
With a head-torso length of 6.4 to 8.5 centimeters, the Chinese shrew is one of the medium-sized to large shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 49 to 68 millimeters - and is therefore only slightly shorter than the rest of the body - the rear foot is 13 to 17 millimeters. The back and peritoneum are monochrome gray-brown to brown-olive. Compared to the very similar taiga shrew ( S. isodon ), the snout is a little longer and the skull a little narrower.
| 1 | · | 5 | · | 1 | · | 3 | = 32 |
| 1 | · | 1 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The skull has a total length of 20 to 22 millimeters and a width of 8.6 to 9.6 millimeters with a long rostrum (snout). As most species of the genus has the type in the maxilla per half an incisor (incisor) and then five unicuspid teeth, a Vorbackenzahn (premolar) and three molars (molar). In the lower jaw, however, it has a single canine behind the incisor. Overall, the animals have a set of 32 teeth. The tooth roots are colored red as in most red-toothed shrews. The species has a small central point on the first incisor. The single-pointed teeth of the upper jaw gradually decrease in size from the first to the fifth.
distribution
The Chinese shrew is endemic to the People's Republic of China and is found in the provinces of Gansu , Sichuan, and Shaanxi . The altitude distribution is probably at 2700 to 3000 meters.
Way of life
As is the case with many species of the genus, only little data is available on the way of life of this species. The Chinese shrew is probably a high mountain specialist and occurs only in the summit area of the mountains in its range. The habitats are rocky with cushions of moss. Like all shrews, this species feeds on invertebrates, especially insects. Within its range, it lives partly sympatric with the dorsal shrew ( S. cylindricauda ).
Systematics
The Chinese shrew is classified as an independent species within the genus of the red- toothed shrew ( Sorex ), which consists of around 80 species. The first scientific description comes from Thomas from 1912, who described an individual from the Feng region , Shaanxi province , from an altitude of 3200 meters. The species was long regarded as conspecific with the taiga shrew ( S. isodon ) and as a subspecies of the wood shrew ( S. araneus ), but is now considered a separate species. Within the genus, the species is classified in the subgenus Sorex .
Apart from the nominate form Sorex sinalis sinalis, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Threat and protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) does not classify the Chinese shrew due to a lack of data and list it as "data deficient"; until 1996 it was classified as endangered. Only individual records are known from a comparatively large area and there is no inventory data. It seems the species is limited to the mountain tops.
literature
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Chinese Shrew. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 319.
Web links
- Sorex sinalis inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Chinese Shrew. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 319.
- ↑ a b c Sorex sinalis in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: AT Smith, CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d Sorex sinalis ( Memento of the original from January 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
