Chinese shrew mole
| Chinese shrew mole | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Uropsilus gracilis | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1911) |
The Chinese shrew mole ( Uropsilus gracilis ) is a species of mammal belonging to the genus of the shrew mole ( Uropsilus ) within the insect eater (Eulipotyphla). The species occurs from the southwest of the People's Republic of China to Myanmar .
features
The Chinese shrew mole reaches a head and trunk length of 6.9 to 8.4 centimeters and a tail length of 6.7 to 7.8 centimeters. The rear foot length is 15 to 18 millimeters. As with all species of the genus, the back fur is dark brown in color.
| 2 | · | 1 | · | 4th | · | 3 | = 38 |
| 1 | · | 1 | · | 4th | · | 3 |
The skull reaches a length of 22 to 23 millimeters. The animals have two incisors per half in the upper jaw , one canine , four premolars and three molars . The teeth in the lower jaw correspond to those in the upper jaw, but there they only have one incisor. Overall, the animals have a set of 38 teeth. The tooth formula corresponds to that of the somewhat smaller Yunnan shrew mole ( Uropsilus investigator ) and represents the main distinguishing feature of these two from the other two species of the genus.
distribution
The Chinese shrew mole occurs from the southwest of the People's Republic of China to Myanmar and lives at altitudes of up to about 4000 meters.
Way of life
As with all species of the genus, hardly any information is available about the way of life of the Chinese shrew mole. The species occurs in mixed forests , often above the rhododendron zone at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 meters. Unlike the other species of the genus, it also inhabits tundra- like habitats at the alpine level. Like the other species of the genus, the Chinese shrew mole lives on the ground and looks for small invertebrates there for food.
Systematics
The Chinese shrew mole is classified as an independent species within the shrew mole (genus Uropsilus ), which consists of four species and is assigned to the moles . The first scientific description was made by Oldfield Thomas in 1911, who described the species using individuals from Jinfoshan near Nanchuan , which at that time still belonged to the Sichuan province and is now a district of Chongqing . The species was partly assigned to the Sichuan shrew mole ( Uropsilus soricipes ), partly also incorporated into its own, monotypical genus Nasillus .
No subspecies are distinguished within the species. The two originally also described as species and then assigned to the Anderson shrew mole ( Uropsilus andersoni ) as subspecies, Uropsilus atronates (Allen, 1923) and Uropsilus nivatus (Allen, 1923) are sometimes synonyms for U. gracilis , but a systematic revision is required of the genus to fully clarify the taxonomy. Molecular genetic analyzes assign both Uropsilus atronates and Uropsilus nivatus an independent species status.
Hazard and protection
The species is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively wide distribution and the assumed high stocks as well as the only slight decline in populations . There are no known threats to the existence of the species, however, due to potential ties to forest areas, the species could be threatened, at least in the lower mountain regions, by deforestation, logging and the expansion of human settlement areas. However, it is not known whether the species can adapt to changes in habitat or whether it is strictly bound to habitat.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Gracile Shrew Mole In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, pp. 326-327. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
- ↑ a b c d Uropsilus gracilis . 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 .
- ↑ a b c Uropsilus gracilis in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2015-4. Posted by: F. Chiozza, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
- ↑ Tao Wan, Kai He and Xue-Long Jiang: Multilocus phylogeny and cryptic diversity in Asian shrew-like moles (Uropsilus, Talpidae): implications for taxonomy and conservation. BMC Evolutionary Biology 13, 2013, p. 232 ( [1] ).
- ↑ Kai He, Akio Shinohara, Kristofer M. Helgen, Mark S. Springer, Xue-Long Jiang and Kevin L. Campbell: Talpid Mole Phylogeny Unites Shrew Moles and Illuminates Overlooked Cryptic Species Diversity. Molecular Biology and Evolution 34 (1), 2016, pp. 78-87.
literature
- Gracile Shrew Mole In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, pp. 326-327. ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
Web links
- Uropsilus gracilis inthe IUCN 2015-4 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: F. Chiozza, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2016.