| Sicilian shrew [1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Genus: | Crocidura |
| Species: | C. sicula |
| Binomial name | |
| Crocidura sicula Miller, 1900 | |
 | |
| Sicilian shrew range | |
The Sicilian shrew (Crocidura sicula) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in Sicily (Italy) and Gozo (Malta). Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland.
It is present in Sicily and Ustica (C. s. sicula), in the Egadi Islands (C. s. aegatensis) and in Gozo (C. s. calypso). It lives in open environments of gariga or Mediterranean scrub but also within lyce, cork and beech forest formations, from 0 to 1,800 m (0 to 5,906 ft) above sea level. Sometimes it is also present within citrus groves and cultivated areas as well as, rarely, in rural dwellings.
Four subspecies of the Sicilian shrew are found:
The Maltese subspecies Crocidura sicula calypso is found on Gozo and has also been recorded on Comino, but is absent from mainland Malta. [5] Known locally as il-ġurdien geddumu twil ta’ Għawdex (“long-chinned shrew of Gozo”), it lives in scrub, garigue and farmland, is mainly nocturnal, and is protected under Maltese and EU law due to threats such as pesticides and predation by cats. [5]
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(April 2009) |
 | This article about a white-toothed shrew is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
