Sorex alaskanus (Merriam, 1900)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6869752 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A035-8759-FF29-A2FC15F1FCDC |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Sorex alaskanus |
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Glacier Bay Water Shrew
French: Musaraigne de Glacier Bay / German: Alaska-\ Wasserspitzmaus / Spanish: Musgaro de los Glaciares
Taxonomy. Sorex navigator alaskanus Merriam, 1900 View in CoL ,
“ Point Gustavus , Glacier Bay , Alaska,” USA.
Sorex alaskanus is in the S. palustris group and subgenus Otisorex. It is occasionally in- cluded in S. palustris , although there have been no recent studies to determine its specific status, and based on skulls from the type series, S. alaskanus is distinguishable from S. palustris and S. navigator. Monotypic.
Distribution. Flats around Gustavus and Bartlett coves in SE Alaska. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 80-88 mm, tail 65-72 mm, hindfoot 18:5-19 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Glacier Bay Water Shrew is large, externally similar to the American Water Shrew (S. palustris ). Dorsum pelage is dark blackish brown, and venter is paler silvery gray. Feet are large and broad, and hindfeet are partially webbed and have small white hairs protruding on their sides. Tail is long, somewhat laterally flattened, and bicolored, being dark blackish brown above and lighter below, with small tip of fur at end. Glacier Bay Water Shrews are smaller than other water shrews in the S. palustris group and have more ridged skulls. Teeth are pigmented dark red. There are five unicuspids, third is smaller than fourth, and fifth is much smaller.
Habitat. Probably wet areas such as bogs, marshes, and streams,similarly to the American Water Shrew.
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. No information.
Activity patterns. Glacier Bay Water Shrews are semi-aquatic.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Glacier Bay Water Shrew is apparently only known from a few specimens collected in 1899 and 1970 from a very restricted locality, although it might have a larger distribution than currently known. Itis found in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, but urban development might threaten it outside the Park.
Bibliography. Beneski & Stinson (1987), Hope et al. (2014), Hutterer (2005b), Mycroft et al. (2011), Nagorsen et al. (2017), Woodman, Reid & Matson (2008b).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
