Episoriculus sacratus (Thomas, 1911)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 332-551 : 451

158.

Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew

Episoriculus sacratus

French: Musaraigne de I'Emei / German: Sichuan-Braunzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de dientes marrones de Sichuan

Other common names: Chinese Brown-toothed Shrew

Taxonomy. Soriculus sacratus Thomas, 1911 ,

Omi-san (= Mount Emei), western Sichuan, south-western China.

Episoriculus sacratus was included as a sub- species of E. caudatus but elevated to a distinct species based on its unique karyotype. Examination of species boundary is warranted. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to W Sichuan Mts, SW China.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 58-74 mm,

tail 48-69 mm, hindfoot 13-16 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive lengths are 17-1-18-4 mm, and tooth rows are 7-5-8 mm. Dorsal pelage of the Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew is slate-gray to dark brown, and ventral pelage is smoky gray. Tail is similar in length to head-body and bicolored, being brown above and glossy whitish below. Skull is similar to that of Hodgson’s Brown-toothed Shrew ( E. caudatus ) but smaller. Braincase is very dome-shaped and high. Coronoid process of ascending ramus is moderately long and broad. Talon (posterior cusp) of upper incisor very low and lower than first unicuspid. It has four upper unicuspids, first three are similar in size, and fourth is highly reduced. Tips of teeth are pigmented light brown or red. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 58 and FN = 108.

Habitat. Broad-leaved evergreen forests, rhododendron forests, and moist conifer forest at elevations of 1700-3500 m.

Food and Feeding. The Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew is insectivorous.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrews were trapped at night.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Sichuan Browntoothed Shrew was previously considered part of Hodgson’s Brown-toothed Shrew, which is classified as Least Concern. Distribution of the Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew is small and limited in montane habitats in western Sichuan. Population size seems to be large and stable based on high rates of successful trapping recently and in the past.

Bibliography. Hoffmann (1985), Motokawa & Lin Liangkong (2005), Motokawa et al. (2009).

Figures

136. Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina hulophaga), 137. Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicaudus), 138. Southern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis), 139. Everglades Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina peninsulae), 140. Sherman’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina shermani), 141. Sichuan Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella quadraticauda), 142. Burmese Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella wardi), 143. Indochinese Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella griselda), 144. Chinese Mole Shrew (Anourosorex squamaipes), 145. Taiwanese Mole Shrew (Anowrosorex yamashinai), 146. Assam Mole Shrew (Anowrosorex assamensis), 147. Giant Mole Shrew (Anourosorex schmid), 148. Desert Gray Shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi), 149. Cockrum’s Gray Shrew (Notiosorex cockrumi), 150. Large-eared Gray Shrew (Notiosorex evolis), 151. Villa’s Gray Shrew (Notiosorex villa), 152. Mexican Shrew (Megasorex gigas), 153. Taiwanese Brown-toothed (Shrew Epusoriculusfumidus), 154. Arboreal Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus macrurus), 155. Bailey's Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus baileyi), 156. Long-tailed Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus leucops), 157. Hodgson’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus caudatus), 158. Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus sacratus), 159. Hidden Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus umbrinus), 160. Nepalese Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus soluensis), 161. Himalayan Shrew (Soriculus nigrescens), 162. De Winton’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa hypsibia), 163. Pygmy Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa parva), 164. Smith’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa smithii), 165. Salenski’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa salenskii), 166. Dusky Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa furva), 167. Lesser Taiwanese Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa sodalis), 168. Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa caovansunga), 169. Hoffmann’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa hoffmanni), 170. Lowe’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa parca), 171. Bornean Water Shrew (Chimarrogale phaeura), 172. Sumatran Water Shrew (Chimarrogale sumatrana), 173. Malayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale hantu), 174. Chinese Water Shrew (Chimarrogale styani), 175. Himalayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale himalayica), 176. Leander’s Water Shrew (Chimarrogale leander), 177. Japanese Water Shrew (Chimarrogale platycephala), 178. Elegant Water Shrew (Nectogale elegans), 179. Mediterranean Water Shrew (Neomys anomalus), 180. Transcaucasian Water (Shrew Neomysteres), 181. Eurasian Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens)

Distribution. Endemic to W Sichuan Mts, SW China.