Long-tailed brown-toothed shrew
| Long-tailed brown-toothed shrew | ||||||||||||
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| Episoriculus leucops | ||||||||||||
| ( Horsfield , 1855) |
The long-tailed brown-toothed shrew ( Episoriculus leucops ) 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-torso length of 5.3 to 8.1 centimeters, the long-tailed brown-toothed shrew is one of the medium-sized shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 5.8 to 8.3 centimeters and the hind foot from 1.2 to 1.9 centimeters. The back and stomach color is uniformly dark black-brown to iron-gray. The tail is approximately the same length as the head-body length, and is compared to other species, especially the sympatrically occurring Hodgson-brown tooth shrew ( episoriculus caudatus ), comparatively long.
The skull has a maximum length of 18 to 21 millimeters, making it slightly larger than that of other species in the genus.
distribution
The long-tailed brown-toothed shrew is distributed over parts of the high mountains of South Asia, the southwest of China and parts of the north of Southeast Asia. The area extends in South Asia from northern India in Sikkim to Nepal , where the species lives at altitudes of up to 2,900 meters. In the People's Republic of China , the species is found in the provinces of Xizang , Sichuan and Yunnan at altitudes of 3,000 to 3,500 meters, and the species also lives in the north of Myanmar and Vietnam .
Way of life
The preferred habitat of the long-tailed brown-toothed shrew is at medium to high altitudes above 2,000 to 3,500 meters, where they colonize moist rhododendron, deciduous and coniferous forests. In addition, the species lives in damp bamboo deposits , bushes and in grasslands and can also be found in the area of human settlements and agricultural areas. It occurs sympatric with the somewhat smaller caudate episoriculus .
The diet consists mainly of earthworms and other invertebrates. There is hardly any data available on reproduction; the females probably have up to six young with one litter.
Systematics
The long-tailed brown-toothed shrew is classified as an independent species within the genus Episoriculus , which consists of four species. The first scientific description comes from Thomas Horsfield in 1855.
In addition to the nominate form E. leucops leucops with E. leucops baileyi, a total of two subspecies is distinguished within the species .
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: Long-Tailed 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 , pp. 310-311.
Web links
- Episoriculus leucops in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2012.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Long-Tailed 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 , pp. 310-311.
- ↑ a b c Episoriculus leucops in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
- ↑ a b c Episoriculus leucops ( 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 .
