Gansu shrew
| Gansu shrew | ||||||||||||
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| Sorex cansulus | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1912 |
The Gansu shrew ( Sorex cansulus ) is a species of shrew from the genus of the red -toothed shrew ( Sorex ). It occurs in central China , especially in the province of Gansu, at altitudes of up to 3000 meters.
features
With a head-trunk length of 6.2 to 6.4 centimeters, the Gansu shrew is one of the small to medium-sized shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 38 to 43 millimeters and is thus shorter than the rest of the body, the rear foot is 12 millimeters long. The back color is smoky gray to gray-brown, the sides sand-colored brown and the belly side hazel brown. The tail has a brown top and a slightly lighter underside. The feet are white-brown.
| 1 | · | 5 | · | 1 | · | 3 | = 32 |
| 1 | · | 1 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The skull has a total length of 18.5 to 19.2 millimeters and the length of the upper row of teeth is 8.1 millimeters. As most species of the genus has the type in the maxilla per half an incisor (incisor) and then five unicuspid teeth, a Vorbackenzahn ( premolar ) and three molars (molar). In the lower jaw, however, it has a single canine behind the incisor. Overall, the animals have a set of 32 teeth. The tooth roots are colored red as in most red-toothed shrews. The first three single-pointed teeth of the upper jaw decrease in size from the first to the third. In terms of its appearance, it corresponds very closely to the Lapland shrew ( S. caecutiens ) and it differs from it mainly in its slightly larger teeth.
distribution
The Gansu shrew occurs in central China , especially in the Gansu province, at altitudes of up to 3000 meters. For a long time, the species was only known from the place where the type specimen was found and another location in the vicinity in the south of Gansu before other individuals from Qinghai and the east of Xizang were known. The altitude distribution is around 2600 to 3000 meters.
Way of life
As is the case with many species of the genus, only little data is available on the way of life of this species. The Gansu shrew is known through a few individuals from the highlands of Gansu and neighboring provinces; no data are available on the way of life. Like all shrews, this species feeds on invertebrates, especially insects. There are no observations on reproduction.
Systematics
The Gansu shrew is classified as an independent species within the genus of the red -toothed shrew ( Sorex ), which consists of around 80 species. The first scientific description comes from Oldfield Thomas from 1912, who described an individual from the area around Lintan in the province of Gansu . The species was partially assigned to S. caecutiens as a subspecies, but is now recognized as a species. Within the genus, the species of the subgenus Sorex is classified and assigned to the S. tundrensis group.
Apart from the nominate form Sorex cansulus cansulus, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Threat and protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) does not classify the Gansu shrew due to a lack of data, but instead lists it as "data deficient".
literature
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Gansu 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. 315.
Web links
- Sorex excelsus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Robert S. Hoffmann, Darrin Lunde: Gansu 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. 315.
- ↑ a b c d Sorex excelsus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ↑ a b c d Sorex cansulus ( Memento of the original from January 2, 2014 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 .
