Nelson's small-eared shrew

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Nelson's small-eared shrew
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Cryptotis
Species:
C. nelsoni
Binomial name
Cryptotis nelsoni
Merriam, 1895
Cryptotis nelsoni distribution.png
Nelson's small-eared shrew range

Nelson's small-eared shrew (Cryptotis nelsoni) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to eastern Mexico.

The species was discovered by Edward William Nelson and Edward Alphonso Goldman in 1894, who collected a number of specimens from the slopes of the San Martín volcano in Veracruz, Mexico. The species was then not recorded again, and thought by many to be extinct, until being rediscovered in the same area in 2004 (as described in 2009). [2] [3] Its biology is essentially unknown. The Nelson's Small-Eared Shrew is considered to be one of the world's 100 most threatened species on the planet. Once thought extinct, they have been recently rediscovered in very small numbers. They live in high altitudes on the side of an inactive volcano. [1] [2] The shrews are tiny (only 10 centimetres long) with brown fur. [2]

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.

<i>Cryptotis</i> Genus of mammals

The genus Cryptotis is a group of relatively small shrews with short ears, which are usually not visible, and short tails, commonly called small-eared shrews. They have 30 teeth and are members of the red-toothed shrew subfamily. Since 1992, Neal Woodman at the United States National Museum has been in the process of revising the genus. To date, this has resulted in an increase in the number of species from 12 to 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oryzomys nelsoni</span> Extinct species of rodent

Oryzomys nelsoni is an extinct rodent of María Madre Island, Nayarit, Mexico. Within the genus Oryzomys of the family Cricetidae, it may have been most closely related to the mainland species O. albiventer. Since its first description in 1898, most authors have regarded it as a distinct species, but it has also been classified as a mere subspecies of the marsh rice rat (O. palustris).

Nelson's woodrat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to Mexico, where it is known only from the eastern slopes of the volcanoes Orizaba and Cofre de Perote. Due to the small geographic range, isolation, and low population, the Nelson's woodrat has a higher risk for extinction. The distribution and population sizes are small. The population exists in geographic isolation, which prevents gene flow

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

Enders's small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Panama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Mexican small-eared shrew</span> Species of mammal

The big Mexican small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

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

The Merida small-eared shrew is a species of shrew that is endemic to Venezuela.

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

The Mexican small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico.

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

The wandering small-eared shrew is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Ecuador.

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

The blackish small-eared shrew is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is found in parts of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. An example specific habitat is the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatán.

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

The Ecuadorian small-eared shrew is a species of shrew in the family Soricidae. It is found on the western and eastern slopes of the Andes in central Ecuador.

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

The tropical small-eared shrew is a very small mammal of the family Soricidae. The species is found in the eastern highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, and parts of Belize and Guatemala. Until recently, it was considered a subspecies of the North American least shrew, but it has gained species status. Its relationship with the Central American least shrew remains to be studied.

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

The Colombian small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the Cordillera Central in Antioquia Department at elevations from 1,750 to 2,800 m. It is found in montane forest and cultivated areas. It resembles C. brachyonyx.

The grizzled Mexican small-eared shrew is a small mammal in the order Eulipotyphla. It is native to the Sierra Madre Oriental of eastern Mexico. It can be found in dense, wet cloud forest, where it is found in the thick herbaceous undergrowth and leaf litter. It is known to be insectivorous and terrestrial. Threats to the species are deforestation for agriculture and urban development.

Phillips' small-eared shrew or Phillips' short-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae found in Mexico.

References

  1. 1 2 Matson, J.; Cuarón, A.D.; de Grammont, P.C. (2018). "Cryptotis nelsoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T136389A22284939. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T136389A22284939.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Walker, M. (16 July 2009). "'Extinct' tiny shrew rediscovered". news.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2020-03-03.
  3. Cervantes, F.A.; Guevara, L. (2010). "Rediscovery of the critically endangered Nelson's small-eared shrew (Cryptotis nelsoni), endemic to Volcán San Martín, Eastern México". Mammalian Biology. 75 (5): 451–454. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2009.06.002.