Cryptotis alticola (Merriam, 1895)

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 : 433

106 .

Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrew

Cryptotis alticola

French: Musaraigne alticole / German: Popocatepetl-Kleinohrspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de unas anchas de Popocatépet!

Other common names: Central Mexican Broad-clawed Shrew, Central Mexican Shrew, Popocatepetl Shrew

Taxonomy. Blarina alticola Merriam, 1895 ,

“ Mount Popocatepetl , Mexico (altitude, 11,500 feet [= 3505 m]).” Restricted by L. N. Carraway in 2007 to “latitude 19-05°N, longitude 98-63°W.”

Cryptotis alticola was considered a subspecies of C. goldmani until N. Woodman and R. M. Timm in 1999 recognized it as a distinct species. L. Guevara and F. A. Cervantes in 2014 and A. B. Baird and colleagues in 2018 found that C. alticola was

in the C. goldmani group with C. goldmani and C. peregrinus, and it was the most basal of the group. Monotypic.

Distribution. C Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Mexico, Distrito Federal, Morelos, Hidalgo, and Puebla (SC Mexico).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 69-87 mm,tail 24-36 mm, hindfoot 11-16 mm; weight 8-16 g. The Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrew is medium-sized. Dorsum is light to medium grayish brown (hairs with silver bases, brown middles, and gray tips), and venter is dark gray, with white-tipped hairs. Feet are relatively long and broad, with long wide claws; posterior part of legs is lighter than anterior part. Tail is short (c.33% of headbody length), covered with short hair, and same color as body. Eyes are diminutive, and ears are small and barely visible under fur. Zygomatic processes extend posteriorly and ventro-laterally to below occlusal surface of teeth; zygomatic processis also sharply pointed compared with Goldman’s Broad-clawed Shrew ( C. goldmani ); fourth unicuspid is partial obscured or not visible when viewing skull laterally; and I, has two denticles and deep interdenticular space. Teeth are reddish, and there are four unicuspids.

Habitat. Generally temperate rainforests with dense underbrush, specifically in temperate pine, pine-oak, and pine-fir forests, and bunchgrass meadows, at elevations of 2460-4400 m. Popocatepet]l Broad-clawed Shrews have also been recorded from disturbed pine forests in Michoacan.

Food and Feeding. The Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrew is carnivorous, feeding on various invertebrates including insects and earthworms.

Breeding. Reproduction of the Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrew apparently occurs year-round, and litters have 3-6 young.

Activity patterns. Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrews are semi-fossorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrew has a relatively wide distribution and has been found in degraded habitats, indicating that it is tolerant of disturbance. Very little is known of its ecology, and additional research is needed to understand natural history, taxonomy, and threats.

Bibliography. Baird et al. (2018), Carraway (2007), Ceballos & Carre6n (2014), Choate (1970), Guevara & Cervantes (2014), Hutterer (2005b), Woodman & Timm (1999), Woodman, Matson et al. (2008).

Figures

On following pages: 90. Grizzled Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis obscurus); 91. Phillips's Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis phillipsii); 92. Eastern Cordillera Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis brachyonyx); 93. Colombian Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis colombianus); 94. Honduran Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis hondurensis); 95. Darien Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis merus); 96. Blackish Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis nigrescens); 97. Lacandona Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis lacandonensis); 98. Yucatan Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis mayensis); 99. Merriam'’s Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis merriami); 100. Berlandier’s Least Shrew (Cryptotis berlandieri); 101. Central American Least Shrew (Cryptotis orophilus); 102. North American Least Shrew (Cryptotis parvus); 103. Puebla Least Shrew (Cryptotis pueblensis); 104. Mexican Least Shrew (Cryptotis soricinus); 105. Tropical Least Shrew (Cryptotis tropicalis); 106. Popocatepetl Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis alticola); 107. Goldman's Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis goldmani); 108. Oaxacan Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis peregrinus); 109. Talamancan Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis gracilis); 110. Santa Barbara Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis cavatorculus); 111. Celaque Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis celague); 112. Dark Mexican Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis griseoventris); 113. Omoa Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis mccarthy); 114. Muscular Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis lacertosus); 115. Honduran Broad-Clawed Shrew (Cryptotis magnimana); 116. Mam Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis mam); 117. Goodwin's Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis goodwini); 118. Highland Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis oreoryctes); 119. Monteverde Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis monteverdensis); 120. Enders’s Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis endersi); 121. Aroa Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis aroensis); 122. Thomas's Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis thomasi); 123. Dinira Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis dinirensis), 124. Venezuelan Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis venezuelensis), 125. Merida Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis meridensis); 126. Tama Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis tamensis); 127. Perija Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis perijensis); 128. Medellin Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis medellinius); 129. Western Colombian Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis squamipes); 130. Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis equatoris); 131. Osgood's Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis osgoodi); 132. Wandering Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis montivagus); 133. Blind Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis niausa); 134. Evaristo's Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis evaristoi); 135. Peruvian Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis peruviensis).

Distribution. C Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Mexico, Distrito Federal, Morelos, Hidalgo, and Puebla (SC Mexico).