Himalayan water shrew
| Himalayan water shrew | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chimarrogale himalayica | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1842) |
The Himalayan water shrew ( Chimarrogale himalayica ) is a species of shrew from the genus of the beaver shrews ( Chimarrogale ). It occurs in a large area of East Asia and especially in the east of the People's Republic of China and in the adjacent areas of India , Nepal and Southeast Asia.
features
With a head-torso length of 9.6 to 10.3 centimeters and a weight of 23 to 56 grams, the species is one of the medium-sized shrew species; Representatives of the species on the island of Taiwan are significantly larger with a head-torso length of 10.9 to 13.0 centimeters. The tail reaches a length of 79 to 112 millimeters and the hind foot of 17 to 30 millimeters. The back and belly color is uniformly black-brown, with the belly side being a bit lighter and more gray, but not clearly differentiated. The entire body fur is also interspersed with isolated white hair. White hair also surrounds the feet and toes. The tail is long and has a comb of white hair along the front third or half.
| 1 | · | 3 | · | 1 | · | 3 | = 28 |
| 1 | · | 1 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The skull has a maximum length of 25 to 28 millimeters. Like all species of the genus has the type in the maxilla per half an incisor (incisor) and then three, sometimes four, unicuspid teeth, a Vorbackenzahn (premolar) and three molars (molar). In the lower jaw, however, it has a single canine behind the incisor. In total, the animals have 28 teeth. The roots are not colored.
distribution
The Himalayan water shrew occurs in a large area of the People's Republic of China as well as in the neighboring states. In China, the species is common in the provinces of Zhejiang , Fujian , Guangdong , Guangxi , Jiangsu , Guizhou , Beijing , Hebei , Shanxi , Shaanxi , Hubei , Sichuan , Ningxia , Yunnan and Taiwan . In India, the species occurs in Himachal Pradesh , Sikkim and West Bengal , and it also lives in eastern Nepal and in northern Myanmar , Laos and Vietnam .
The height distribution ranges from 250 to 2000 meters. In large parts of the distribution area the species occurs sympatric with the Chinese water shrew ( C. styani ).
Way of life
As with all species of the genus, hardly any data is available on the way of life of the Himalayan water shrew. Like all shrews, this species feeds on invertebrates, also on aquatic insects, and also prey on small fish. The species lives mainly in the area of clear rivers in forest areas at medium altitudes.
Systematics
The Himalayan water shrew is classified as an independent species within the genus of the beaver shrew ( Chimarrogale ), which consists of six species. The first scientific description comes from John Edward Gray from 1842. At times the Chimarrogale leander , Chimarrogale platycephalus , Chimarrogale varennei and sometimes the Malay water shrew ( Chimarrogale hantu ) were assigned to the Himalayan water shrew as subspecies.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Threat and protection
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered ("least concern") due to its relatively large distribution area and the assumed population size. There are no known threats to the species, but in Nepal it is affected by the deforestation of forests and the conversion into agricultural areas and settlement areas as well as by pest control measures.
literature
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Himalayan Water 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. 306-307.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Himalayan Water 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. 306-307.
- ↑ a b c d e Chimarrogale himalayica in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2012.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ↑ a b c d Chimarrogale himalayica ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been 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 .
Web links
- Chimarrogale himalayica inthe IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2013.