Pearson long-clawed shrew
| Pearson long-clawed shrew | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Solisorex | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1924 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Solisorex pearsoni | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1924 |
The Pearson's long-clawed shrew ( Solisorex pearsoni ) is a species of shrew endemic to Sri Lanka .
features
The name-giving feature of these shrews are the strikingly long claws of the front paws. The soft, dense fur is gray-brown in color, the large feet are brown. The tail is hairy evenly, the ears are small and the teeth are relatively large compared to other species of shrew. These animals reach a head body length of 125 to 150 millimeters, to which a 60 to 70 millimeter long tail comes, so are relatively large representatives of their family.
Way of life
Pearson's long-clawed shrews only inhabit the central highlands of Sri Lanka, where they are found at altitudes between 1100 and 1850 meters. Otherwise little is known about the way of life. The large claws could indicate an at least partially subterranean way of life.
Discovery and Threat
The species was discovered in 1924 in the Hakgala Botanical Garden near the city of Nuwara Eliya by J. Pearson, an employee of a museum in Colombo . A similar species had already been discovered in the same region a few decades earlier with the Kelaart long-clawed shrew .
Due to the destruction of their habitat, the IUCN lists the species as endangered .
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 .
Web links
- Solisorex pearsoni in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Insectivore Specialist Group, 1996. Accessed on 02/01/2007.
- Illustration
