Gmelin white-toothed shrew
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The Gmelin white-toothed shrew ( Crocidura gmelini ) is a species of shrew from the genus of the white-toothed shrew ( Crocidura ).
features
With a head-trunk length of 5.2 to 7.2 centimeters, the Gmelin white-toothed shrew is one of the smallest shrew species in Eurasia and is therefore comparable in size to the Asian garden shrew, which occurs allopatric in central and eastern China . The tail reaches a length of 25 to 42 millimeters. The rear foot is 11 to 14 millimeters long. The back fur is dark brown-gray with a slightly grayer belly, which is a bit lighter than that of C. shantungensis , and the tail is a bit shorter.
| 1 | · | 3 | · | 1 | · | 3 | = 28 |
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The skull has a total length of 17 to 18 millimeters. Like all species of the genus, the species has one incisor per half in the upper jaw and then three single-pointed teeth, a premolar and three molars . In the lower jaw, however, it has a single canine behind the incisor. In total, the animals have a set of 28 teeth. As with all white-toothed shrews, the tooth roots are not pigmented in contrast to those of the red- toothed shrews.
distribution
The Gmelin white-toothed shrew occurs in Central Asia in parts of Iran , Kazakhstan , Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan , Afghanistan , Pakistan and the People's Republic of China as well as Mongolia . There are also observations for Israel , but these are still unclear. In China, the species only lives in the northwestern parts of Xinjiang .
Way of life
As with many species of shrew, the way of life of the Gmelin white-toothed shrew is largely unexplored. It lives mainly in dry, desert-like ( arid ) regions and is adapted to them. As habitats they use, among others, salt marshes , sparse with tamarisk and Nitraria vegetated sand dunes and similar habitats. In the Yarkant area , it also lives in the lush vegetation along the river banks and in the grass steppe. Like all shrews, this species feeds on invertebrates, especially insects. Nothing is known about reproduction.
Systematics
The Gmelin white-toothed shrew is classified as an independent species within the genus of the white-toothed shrew ( Crocidura ), which consists of around 170 species. The first scientific description comes from Peter Simon Pallas from 1811, who described an individual from the vicinity of the city of Bodschnurd in the province of North Khorasan in present-day Iran from an altitude of about 3200 meters. This species was at times considered synonymous with the pygmy shrew ( Sorex minutus ), the distinction between C. suaveolens and C. katinka has not yet been fully clarified. In addition, the outsourcing of a new species of Crocidura portali was discussed.
Today, apart from the nominate form Crocidura gmelini gmelini, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Threat and protection
The Gmelin white-toothed shrew is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as least concern due to its large distribution area, the assumed large populations and the non-existent threat to the population.
literature
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Gmelin's 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 , pp. 299-300.
Web links
- Crocidura gmelini inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: R. Hutterer, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Gmelin's 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 , pp. 299-300.
- ↑ a b c Crocidura gmelini in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: R. Hutterer, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d Crocidura gmelini ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the 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 .
