Crocidura brunnea, Jentink, 1888

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 : 477

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6870090

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A07A-8716-FFF8-AA5A13AFF5F4

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Crocidura brunnea
status

 

231. View Plate 20: Soricidae

Thick-tailed White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura brunnea View in CoL

French: Crocidure brune / German: Dickschwanz-WeiRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de cola gruesa

Other common names: Thick-tailed Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura brunnea Jentink, 1888 View in CoL , (probably west) Java, Indonesia.

Formerly included in C. fuliginosa from continental South-east Asia, but differs chromosomally, genetically and mor- phologically. Also distinctively different from C. orientalis , but possible introgressive hybridization in central Java (Mount soe suggests that barriers to gene flow between these two sister species are locally incomplete. Both Javan species appear in

the same clade together with the large-bodied Sumatran C. lepidura . Includes brevicauda and melanorhyncha as synonyms. Molecular reconstructions based on nDNA and mtDNA show that the two races do not differ substantially. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

C. b. brunneaJentink, 1838 — W & C Java. C. b. pudjonica Sody, 1936 — E Java and Bali. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 72-104 mm, tail 42-67 mm, ear 7-10 mm, hindfoot 13-5-17 mm; weight 13-17 g. Medium-sized shrew with dark brown pelage, almost black close to the hair bases but more reddish-brown toward the tips. Lower parts somewhat paler with more pronounced brownish tinge. Tail rather short (clearly shorter than head-body length) and hairy, with numerous bristles appearing along its proximal third. Tail shape conical (enlarged base tapering toward tip), reminiscent of that of the Asian House Shrew ( Suncus murinus ) but unlike the cylindricaltail of other similarsized Crocidura . Race pudjonica is slightly smaller than nominate. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 38 and FN = 56, with submetacentric X and acrocentric Y chromosomes. Chromosomal complement very similar to those of most other Crocidura from the Sunda Shelf, including the Oriental White-toothed Shrew ( C. orientalis ).

Habitat. The Thick-tailed White-toothed Shrew is predominantly a lowland species found from near sea level up to 1500 m; most habitats in the plains are now heavily modified by humans, and recentsightings report it at altitudes of 700-1600 m. At medium altitudes of ¢.1500 m, can be found in sympatry with the similar-sized Oriental White-toothed Shrew, but otherwise they are segregated by altitude.

Food and Feeding. Thick-tailed White-toothed Shrews feed on invertebrates but no precise data are available.

Breeding. Most adult females caught in September at mid-altitude in western Java showed evidence of breeding and were either pregnant (with 1-2 embryos) or lactating. The capture of independent immatures suggests an extended breeding period around this time ofyear.

Activity patterns. Terrestrial, occurring in various types of forest and adjacent secondary habitats such as gardens (in Bali).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Thick-tailed White-toothed Shrew can be relatively common in semi-montane habitats where it co-occurs with a range of other terrestrial insectivores, but no precise data are available.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List in view of its occurrence in all kinds of forest, and secondary habitats with dense ground vegetation such as gardens. Now possibly extirpated from the lowlands ofJava by intensive anthropic modifications of habitats. Its current distribution might therefore be considerably reduced, and new information on status of lowland populations is needed. The Thick-tailed White-toothed Shrew occurs in protected areas such as Mount Gede, Mount Salak, or Mount Slamet.

Bibliography. Demos et al. (2016), Dubey, Salamin et al. (2008), Esselstyn et al. (2013), Hutterer (2005b), Jenkins (1982), Jentink (1888, 1890, 1910), Kitchener et al. (1994), Lunde et al. (2008), Ruedi (1995, 1996), Ruedi & Vogel (1995), Sody (1936).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Soricomorpha

Family

Soricidae

Genus

Crocidura

Loc

Crocidura brunnea

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson 2018
2018
Loc

Crocidura brunnea

Jentink 1888
1888
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