Nesiotites
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nesiotites | ||||||||||||
| Bate , 1945 |
Nesiotites is an extinct species of shrew . The three known species of this genus lived on the Mediterranean islands until a few thousand years ago.
The animals of this genus were medium-sized shrews, which were similar in body to the red -toothed shrews ( Sorex ).
There are three known types:
- Nesiotites corsicanus lived in Corsica and probably died out 2500 years ago.
- Nesiotites hidalgo inhabited the Balearic Islands and disappeared around 5000 years ago.
- Nesiotites similis wasnativeto Sardinia , the species became extinct around 4000 years ago.
The reasons for the extinction of these animals are not completely clear, but are probably related to the settlement of their home islands by humans. It is assumed, on the one hand, that other shrews were accidentally introduced (representatives of the white-toothed and thick-tailed shrews live on these islands today, but have only been documented there since the Neolithic .) On the other hand, domestic animals such as sheep and goats brought by humans could also enter the habitat of these animals have permanently destroyed.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .