Caucasian brook shrew

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caucasian brook shrew
Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Insect eater (Eulipotyphla)
Family : Shrews (Soricidae)
Subfamily : Soricinae
Genre : Water shrews ( Neomys )
Type : Caucasian brook shrew
Scientific name
Neomys teres
Miller , 1908

The Caucasian brook shrew ( Neomys teres , Syn . : Neomys schelkovnikovi Satunin, 1913) belongs to the genus of water shrews and is found north and south of the Caucasus in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, in the Russian foothills of the Caucasus , on the Turkish Black Sea coast, west roughly to the province of Zonguldak and in northwestern Iran. In the east (Iran) the limits of their range are hardly known.

features

Like all water shrews, the Caucasian brook shrew is adapted to an aquatic way of life, less strong than the Eurasian water shrew ( Neomys fodiens ), but stronger than the swamp shrew ( Neomys anomalus ). The hind feet are larger than those of shrews of comparable size that live purely on land. On the toes there is a fringe of bristle-like hair, which, like webbed feet, enables fast progress in the water. Similar bristles are found on the underside of the tail and form a keel that increases stability when swimming. The ears are small and almost completely hidden in the fur. The olfactory lobes are reduced because the prey is more likely to be tracked down with the sense of touch with the help of the vibrissae than is smelled. The fur is short and dense.

The Caucasian brook shrew differs from the other two water shrew mainly in terms of the morphology of its penis. The shaft is longer than that of the other species (10.8 to 14.6 mm vs. 7.0 to 8.0 mm for the swamp shrew and 7.5 to 8.5 mm for the water shrew). It is densely covered with horny spines. The acorn is pointed, but in the other species it is blunt.

Way of life

The Caucasian brook shrew colonized the banks of small rivers and streams as solitary animals. It looks for shelter in abandoned rodent burrows between roots or in the undergrowth. Sometimes she digs her own cave. It swims and dives very well, and feeds on aquatic molluscs, other aquatic invertebrates, fish roe, tadpoles, and young frogs. On land it catches beetles, earthworms and sometimes rodents that are young. Its saliva is poisonous and it can therefore keep its prey, paralyzed by a bite, in its burrows for a certain period of time, which is particularly important during the winter months.

The Caucasian brook shrew 5 to 9 young about three times a year. It lived up to four years in captivity, and its lifespan in the wild is estimated to be around two years. The IUCN classifies the species as not endangered.

literature

Web links