Hodgsons brown tooth shrew
| Hodgsons brown tooth shrew | ||||||||||||
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| Caudate episoriculus | ||||||||||||
| ( Horsfield , 1851) |
The Hodgsons brown tooth shrew ( Episoriculus caudatus ) is a species of shrew from the genus Episoriculus . It is widespread in South Asia, in northern India and in Nepal, in central and southern China and in Myanmar.
features
With a head-trunk length of 5.8 to 7.4 centimeters, the Hodgson's brown-toothed shrew is one of the medium-sized shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 4.8 to 6.7 centimeters and the hind foot of 1.2 to 1.6 centimeters. The back color is cinnamon brown with a gray shade, the ventral side is lighter in color. The fur of the subspecies E. c. umbrinus noticeably darker brown. The tail is comparatively short compared to other species with a length of slightly more than half the length of the head and torso. It is monochrome brown on the top, in E. c. sacratus with a second shade of brown and whitish brown underneath. The tops of the hands and feet are also whitish with some brown hair in the middle.
The skull has a maximum length of 17 to 19 millimeters and thus corresponds to that of the small brown-toothed shrew ( Episoriculus macrurus ), but has a longer and narrower snout. The tips of the upper incisors have noticeably large spaces. The genome consists of a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 64 chromosomes.
distribution
The Hodgsons brown tooth shrew is distributed over large parts of the high mountains of South Asia, central and southern China and parts of Southeast Asia. The area extends in South Asia from the north of India in Sikkim , West Bengal and Uttarakhand to Nepal . In the People's Republic of China , the species is found in the provinces of Xizang , Sichuan , Gansu and the southwest of Yunnan , and the species also lives in the north of Myanmar .
Way of life
The preferred habitat of the Hodgsons brown tooth shrew is at medium altitudes above 2,200 meters, with dense oak-rhododendron forests in the lower elevations and alpine pastures at higher elevations. In addition, the species lives on the edges of deciduous and coniferous forests and prefers near-river habitats with heavy soil cover or stony soils with grass and moss growth. It can also be found in the area of human settlements and agricultural areas.
The breeding season falls into two periods; in April to June the females have an average of six pups, in August to October three to five pups.
Systematics
The Hodgsons brown tooth shrew is classified as an independent species within the brown tooth shrew ( Episoriculus ), which consists of four species. The first scientific description comes from Thomas Horsfield in 1851. Originally, the Taiwanese brown-toothed shrew ( Episoriculus fumidus ) , which is endemic to Taiwan, was considered a subspecies of E. caudatus , but was later described as an independent species.
Within the species, in addition to the nominate form E. caudatus caudatus , E. caudatus sacratus and E. caudatus umbrinus, a total of three subspecies are distinguished.
Threat and protection
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as “least concern” due to its relatively large distribution area in Asia, its good adaptability and the assumed population size. There are no known threats to the species and a significant decline in populations is not assumed; regionally, it may be endangered by habitat changes.
literature
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Hodgon's Red-Toothed 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. 310.
Web links
- Episoriculus caudatus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2012.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Hodgon's Red-Toothed 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. 310.
- ↑ a b c d Episoriculus caudatus ( Memento of the original dated November 10, 2013 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 .
- ↑ a b c Episoriculus caudatus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2012.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ↑ Episoriculus fumidus ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2013 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 .
