Gansu shrew

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Gansu shrew [1]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Sorex
Species:
S. cansulus
Binomial name
Sorex cansulus
Thomas, 1912
Gansu Shrew area.png
Gansu shrew range

The Gansu shrew (Sorex cansulus) is a red-toothed shrew found only in a small part of Gansu province and other adjacent areas of China. With its very limited range, it is sensitive to habitat loss and is listed as a "vulnerable species" in the Chinese Red List, while the IUCN lists it as being "data deficient"

Contents

Taxonomy

The Gansu shrew was first described in 1912 by the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas, who named it Sorex cansulus. It closely resembles Laxmann's shrew (Sorex caecutiens), a common species with a wide range, and there were doubts as to the validity of the species. However, the discovery more recently of other locations where it appears to co-exist with S. caecutiens lends support to the validity of the species. [2]

Description

The Gansu shrew has a head-and-body length of 62 to 64 mm (2.4 to 2.5 in), with a tail of 38 to 43 mm (1.5 to 1.7 in). The hind foot measures 12 mm (0.5 in). The dorsal fur is greyish-brown with buff flanks and hazel-coloured underparts. Both the fore feet and the hind feet are brownish-white. The upper side of the tail is dark brown while the underside is paler. [3]

Distribution

The Gansu shrew is endemic to the province of Gansu in central China, where it is found at altitudes between about 2,600 and 3,000 m (8,500 and 9,800 ft). At one time known only from two sites in the immediate vicinity of the type locality in southern Gansu, it has since been recorded additionally from the southwestern part of the province, close to the border with Qinghai province, and from a single location in the east of the Tibet Autonomous Region. [2]

Status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature does not have enough information on this species to rate its conservation status, and has listed it as being "data deficient". [2] It is listed as "vulnerable" in the Chinese Red List. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-toothed shrew</span> Subfamily of mammals

The red-toothed shrews of the subfamily Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies of shrews, along with Crocidurinae and Myosoricinae. In addition, the family contains the extinct subfamilies Limnoecinae, Crocidosoricinae, Allosoricinae and Heterosoricinae. These species are typically found in North America, northern South America, Europe and northern Asia. The enamel of the tips of their teeth is reddish due to iron pigment. The iron deposits serve to harden the enamel and are concentrated in those parts of the teeth most subject to wear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marsh shrew</span> Species of shrew

The marsh shrew, also known as the Pacific water shrew, Bendire's water shrew, Bendire's shrew and Jesus shrew is the largest North American member of the genus Sorex. Primarily covered in dark-brown fur, it is found near aquatic habitats along the Pacific coast from southern British Columbia to northern California. With air trapped in its fur for buoyancy, marsh shrews can run for three to five seconds on top of the water. It measures about 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, including a 7-centimetre (2.8 in)-long tail, and weighs an average of 14.5–16 g (0.51–0.56 oz). The marsh shrew's diet consists mainly of invertebrates, which it hunts on land and in the water. They are rare; their populations are thought to be in decline, and they are considered endangered in parts of their range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kozlov's shrew</span> Species of mammal

Kozlov's shrew is a red-toothed shrew found only at the Mekong River, Tibet, China. It is listed as a data deficient species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laxmann's shrew</span> Species of mammal

Laxmann's shrew, or the masked shrew, is a species of shrew. Its range extends from northern Scandinavia and the Baltic to the Sea of Japan, including Hokkaidō, Sakhalin, and the Korean Peninsula. It favours mountain forests but is sometimes found in tundra and moorland, and also in lowland areas as well. It avoids cultivated land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ussuri shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Ussuri shrew, also known as the giant shrew, is a species of shrew found in Northeast Asia. An adult Ussuri shrew has a total length including the tail of 137 to 170 mm. It is found in valleys and on the forested slopes of mountains in the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China, and the Russian Far East. It is rarely observed, and its ecology is largely unknown.

The Ganzu vole, Eva's red-backed vole, Eva's vole, Gansu vole, or Taozhou vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in mountain forests in China. The IUCN has assessed it as being of "least concern".

The Shansei vole is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in north-central China where its habitat is forests.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swamp musk shrew</span> Species of mammal native to African swamps

The swamp musk shrew, or musk shrew, is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It occurs in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is swamps, and it is a common species in suitable habitats, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature listing it as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ugandan musk shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Ugandan musk shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. Its range, population size and habits are poorly known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African giant shrew</span> Species of mammal

The African giant shrew is a species of white-toothed shrew. It also is known as, Mann's musk shrew, Euchareena's musk shrew, or Olivier's shrew. It is native to Africa, where it has a widespread distribution and occurs in many types of habitat. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, dry savanna, moist savanna, arable land, rural gardens, urban areas, and heavily degraded former forest. In the Nile Valley it is found near human habitation, where it is considered to be a pest. It is a common species and is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine shrew</span> Species of mammal

The alpine shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the alpine meadows and coniferous forests of central and southern European mountain ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornate shrew</span> Species of mammal

The ornate shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae (shrews). It is endemic to western North America, ranging from Northern California in the United States to Baja California in Mexico. Eight subspecies are known, including the extinct tule shrew, known only from four specimens collected in 1905, and the Suisun ornate shrew, a species of conservation concern in California. Through skull morphology research and genetic testing on Ornate shrew populations, it has been shown that there are three main genetic subdivisions: The Southern, Central and Northern. These three genetic subdivisions of Ornate shrew arose from populations of Ornate shrews getting geographically isolated from other populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific shrew</span> Species of mammal

The Pacific shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to western Oregon in the United States. The Pacific Shrew is native to western Oregon, more specifically from the Siltcoos lake to the coast going from the border line of Douglas and Lane counties continuing south to the northern parts of California. The first documented Pacific shrew to be caught was found at the mouth of the Umpqua River in 1858. They are normally found in damp areas along creeks in forests and sometimes near collapsed trees. Their refuge is of the utmost importance and they are seldom found far from it. This includes collapsed trees or dense vegetation. They use the flora to build a nest, gathering small plants such as grass, moss, lichen, or leaves into a pile and pushing themselves into the middle.

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Preble's shrew is a small shrew distributed across the Great Basin of the United States and southern British Columbia in Canada. It belongs to the order Eulipotyphla, family Soricidae and genus Sorex.

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The Chinese shrew or dusky shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to China, where it occurs in Gansu, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-tailed shrew</span> Species of mammal

The long-tailed shrew or rock shrew is a small shrew found in Atlantic Canada and the Northeastern United States.

References

  1. Hutterer, R. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 286. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Johnston, C.; Smith, A.T. (2016). "Sorex cansulus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T20383A22318966. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T20383A22318966.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 Smith, Andrew T.; Xie, Yan (2013). Mammals of China. Princeton University Press. p. 205. ISBN   978-1-4008-4688-7.