Anurosorex assamensis, J. Anderson, 1875, J. Anderson, 1875

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 : 447

146.

Assam Mole Shrew

Anourosorex assamensis

French: Musaraigne dAssam / German: Assam-Maulwurfspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana topo de Assam

Taxonomy. Anurosorex [sic] assamensis J. Anderson, 1875 ,

“ Subsasugu, Assam ,” India.

Anourosorex assamensis had been included in A. squamipes as a subspecies until re- cently, but it is larger and has a different karyotype. Animals from Mizoram were originally reported as A. squamipes but are obviously A. assamensis based on their larger sizes. Distributional boundary between A. assamensis and A. squamipes is unclear.

Monotypic.

Distribution. SW China (Shannan in extreme SE Tibet [= Xizang]), NE India, and adjacent WC Myanmar (Tedim).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 85-119 mm, tail 10-15 mm, hindfoot 14-20 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive lengths are 25-2-28 mm, and tooth row is 11:4-13 mm. Pelage is uniformly black, and feet and tail are white. The Assam Mole Shrew is similar to the Chinese Mole Shrew ( A. squamipes ) but larger. Skull and mandible are robust. It has two upper unicuspids, first one is long, and second is much reduced. Upper P*, M' and M? are obviously quadrangle. Cusps of teeth are unpigmented. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 50 and FNa = 96.

Habitat. Usually damp forests at elevations of 1500-3100 m. The Assam Mole Shrew has been captured in anthropogenic habitats such as villages and in sewage lines.

Food and Feeding. The Assam Mole Shrew is insectivorous.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Assam Mole Shrew is a semi-fossorial species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Population size of the Assam Mole Shrew is unknown, but because it can use anthropogenic habitats,its population is unlikely to be declining.

Bibliography. Hutterer (2005b), Kawada et al. (2014), Mandal & Das (1969), Mandal et al. (1995), Motokawa & Lin Liangkong (2002), Motokawa et al. (2004).

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. SW China (Shannan in extreme SE Tibet [= Xizang]), NE India, and adjacent WC Myanmar (Tedim).