Chimarrogale platycephalus (Temminck 1842)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Soricomorpha, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 220-311 : 275

Chimarrogale platycephalus (Temminck 1842)

[Chimarrogale] platycephalus (Temminck 1842) , Fauna Japonica, 1 (Mamm.): 23.

Type Locality: Japan, Kyushu, near Nagasaki and Bungo.

Vernacular Names: Japanese Water Shrew.

Distribution: Most of the Japanese Isls.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Included in himalayica since Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951), but retained as a separate species by Harrison (1958), Hutterer and Hürter (1981), Hoffmann (1987), and Corbet and Hill (1991). Arai et al. (1985) reported on clinal size variation in Japan. For date of publication see Holthuis and Sakai (1970). The species name is often spelled platycephala (as such in the second edition, 1993 a); however, platycephalus is to be regarded as a noun, in which case the specific name does not change with the gender of the genus (C. Smeenk, in litt., 2002). Detailed observations on distribution and habitat provided by Abe (2003). Karyotype has 2n = 52, FN = 104 ( Obara and Tada, 1985).