Chimarrogale leander, Thomas, 1902

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 : 455

176.

Leander’s Water Shrew

Chimarrogale leander

French: Chimarrogale de Taiwan / German: Taiwan-Wasserspitzmaus / Spanish: Musgano de Taiwan

Other common names: Taiwanese Water Shrew

Taxonomy. Chimarrogale leander Thomas, 1902 ,

“ Kuatun [= Guadun] , N.W. Fokien [= Fujian Province, China]. Altitude 1200 m.”

Chimarrogale leander used to be considered a synonym of C. himalayica but is now considered a distinct species based on molecular evidence. Distributional boundary between C. leanderand C. himalayica is stl unclear. Chimarrogale leander is presumably distributed in northern and eastern Chi-

na, leaving C. himalayica in south-western China. Monotypic.

Distribution. C & E China and Taiwan I.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 80-130 mm, tail 81-101 mm, hindfoot 21-26 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive lengths are 24-7-25-9 mm, and tooth rows are 10-9-11-5 mm. Leander’s Water Shrews on the mainland are overall smaller than those on Taiwan Island. Its external morphology is similar to the Himalayan Water Shrew ( C. himalayica ), except pelage is less blackish gray. Tail is bicolored, being black above and white below. Venteris slate-gray. Braincase is flattened and broad. Coronoid process of mandible is slenderer than in the Himalayan Water Shrew. Leander’s Water Shrew has three upper unicuspids. I' has long and robust apex and low talon (posterior cusp) that is much lower than first upper unicuspid. Cusps of teeth are unpigmented.

Habitat. Clean streams with fine vegetation coverage on banks. Leander’s Water Shrew is sensitive to pollution. In Taiwan, its distribution is limited to northern and central mountains at elevations of 300-2200 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet of Leander’s Water Shrew probably contains invertebrates including crabs, shrimp, larval and adult insects, tadpoles, earthworms, and fish. Stomach contents from one individual contained remains of Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Araneae but not fish or amphibians.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Leander’s Water Shrews is semi-aquatic and is adapted to swim and dive based on captive observations. It is active day and night.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Leander’s Water Shrew is considered a protected species in Taiwan, and most ofits habitat area has been well protected. Its status on the mainland is largely unknown.

Bibliography. Hoffmann (1987), Thomas (1902a), Yuan Shouli et al. (2013).

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. C & E China and Taiwan I.