Himalayan water shrew
The Himalayan water shrew ( Chimarrogale himalayica ) is a shrew of the genus beaver shrews ( Chimarrogale ). It occurs in a large area in East Asia, and especially in the east of the People's Republic of China and adjacent areas of India, Nepal and Southeast Asia.
Features
With a head-body length of 9.6 to 10.3 centimeters and a weight of 23-56 grams of the kind among the medium-sized shrew species; Representatives of the species on the island of Taiwan with a snout-vent length from 10.9 to 13.0 centimeters significantly greater. The tail reaches a length of 79-112 mm and the hind foot 17 to 30 millimeters. The back and belly coloration is uniformly dark brown, the ventral side is slightly lighter and more gray, but not clearly separated. The entire body fur is also interspersed with scattered white hairs. White hair also form an enclosure of the feet and toes. The tail is long and fitted along the anterior third or half of a comb of white hair.
The skull has a maximum length of 25 to 28mm. Like all species of the genus has the kind in the maxilla per half an incisor ( incisor ) and then three, sometimes four, unicuspid teeth, a Vorbackenzahn ( premolar ) and three molars ( Molar ). In the mandible, it has, however, a single canine ( canine ) behind the incisor. Overall, the animals thus have 28 teeth. The roots are unstained.
Dissemination
The Himalayan water shrew occurs in a large area of the People's Republic of China as well as in neighboring countries. In China, the kind in the provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangsu, Guizhou, Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hubei, Sichuan, Ningxia, Yunnan and Taiwan is widespread. In India, the species occurs in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and West Bengal, also she lives in eastern Nepal and in the north of Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.
The altitudinal distribution ranges from 250 to 2000 meters. In large parts of the range the way sympatric occurs with the Chinese water shrew (C. styani ).
Way of life
About the lifestyle of the Himalayan water shrew are, as in all species of the genus is limited data. Like all shrews also feed on these types of invertebrates, the Himalayan water shrew also feeds on aquatic insects and small fish captured. The species lives mainly in the region of clear rivers in forested areas at medium altitudes.
System
The Himalayan water shrew is classified as a separate species within the genus of beaver shrews ( Chimarrogale ), which consists of six species. The first scientific description comes from John Edward Gray in 1842. Occasionally the now partially considered as a distinct species Chimarrogale Chimarrogale platycephalus, Chimarrogale varennei and partly also the Malayan water shrew ( Chimarrogale hantu ) the Himalayan water shrew were leander assigned as the subspecies.
Within the species, no subspecies are distinguished addition to the nominate today.
Threat and protection
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the relatively large distribution area and population size is assumed to be not at risk ( " least concern "). Threats to the species are not known, but it is affected in Nepal from deforestation and conversion to agricultural land and settlement areas as well as measures of pest control.