Saint Lawrence Island shrew

The St. Lawrence Rotzahnspitzmaus ( Sorex jacksoni ) is a species of the genus Rotzahnspitzmäuse. It is endemic to the U.S. state of Alaska belonging to St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea.

Features

The body length of the St. Lawrence - Rotzahnspitzmaus is included tail 94-107 mm. Your weight is between four and five grams.

Dissemination

Their occurrence is limited to the U.S. state of Alaska belonging to St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, it is accordingly endemic to this island and is the only shrew ago. Because of their northern habitat, it is one of the few insectivores, which belong to the fauna of the Arctic.

Way of life

The habitats of the species include bogs and moist tundra areas, logging areas and other open structures on the island. In some parts they are to be found only in the strikes or pebbles. In addition, they can be found in towns where voles and insects are plentiful as a food source. In winter, the animals also penetrate storerooms in which dried or frozen meat is stored.

System

The St. Lawrence Rotzahnspitzmaus is classified as a separate species within the Rotzahnspitzmäuse ( genus Sorex ) and there in the subgenus Otisorex. The first scientific description comes from Eugene Raymond Hall & Raymond Maurice Gilmore from the year 1932. It was partly together with other Arctic forms as subspecies of the Tundra Rotzahnspitzmaus ( Sorex tundrensis ) and later the American mask Rotzahnspitzmaus ( Sorex cinereus ) is considered. At times, Sorex leucogaster, Sorex Sorex ugyunak portenkoi and were classified as subspecies of the St. Lawrence - Rotzahnspitzmaus, they are now all but as a separate species. Today it is regarded as a kind within the cinereus group and is thus used as a close with the American mask Rotzahnspitzmaus, but not regarded as sister species.

On the basis of molecular biological studies, a close relationship of the species of the Bering Sea could be determined, which contains as a group next to the St. Lawrence Rotzahnspitzmaus Sorex camtschatica, Sorex portenkoi, Sorex Sorex pribilofensis and ugyunak. As the sister group Sorex haydeni and the American mask Rotzahnspitzmaus were identified.

Within the species, no further addition to the nominate subspecies are distinguished.

Threat and protection

The species is classified as no threats are known and a decline in stocks is not to be feared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ), in spite of its limited distribution area as not at risk ( " least concern ").