Taiwanese gray shrew
Crocidura tanakae is a shrew from the kind of white tooth shrew ( Crocidura ). It is endemic to the island of Taiwan.
Features
With a head-body length of 7.0 to 8.6 centimeters Crocidura tanakae one of the medium-sized shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 47-62 millimeters. The hind foot has a length of 12 to 14 mm. The back fur is smoky brown to dark gray black, the ventral side, the staining gradually changed to a dark gray. The summer coat is slightly darker than the winter coat. The tail is dark brown on the top and on the bottom a little brighter, but not clearly contrasted. The type corresponds in appearance to the lashes shrew ( Crocidura attenuata ) that is found in the Chinese mainland and its subspecies as it was originally filed, and can be reliably differentiated only by a study of the genome of this.
The skull has a total length of 20 to 22 millimeters. Like all species of the genus has the kind in the maxilla per half an incisor ( incisor ) and then three unicuspid teeth, one premolar and three molars. In the mandible, it has, however, a single canine ( canine ) behind the incisor. Overall, the animals thus have a set of teeth from 28 teeth. The roots are not pigmented white, as in all tooth shrews in contrast to those of the Rotzahnspitzmäuse.
The genome of the eyelashes shrew was studied both in the island population on Taiwan as well as in individuals from mainland China in 1997 and 2001. It could be found that the diploid chromosome set in mainland China from 2n = 35-38 (FN = 54 ) compared with 2n = 40 (FN = 56) on Taiwan. The Taiwanese form was collected on this basis in the species status as Crocidura tanakae.
Dissemination
Crocidura tanakae is endemic on the island of Taiwan. The altitudinal distribution extends to about 2200 meters.
Way of life
The life of Crocidura tanakae is largely unexplored as with many shrews. She lives in different habitats, especially in areas of grass, bamboo forests and other Waldbegieten and bushes. Like all shrews feed on this species of invertebrates, especially insects and worms. Little is known about the reproduction, ewes carrying one to three embryos were identified in February and March.
System
Crocidura tanakae is classified as a separate species within the genus of white tooth shrew ( Crocidura ), which consists of about 170 species. The first scientific description comes from Kuroda from 1938, referring to an individual from the center of the island of Taiwan. She was at times as a subspecies of C. attenuata and island shape, now however, it was spun off from this type due to a significantly different genome and is now a separate species dar.
Within the species today are in addition to the nominate Crocidura tanakae tanakae no further sub- types differed.
Threat and protection
Crocidura tanakae is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the assumed large populations on Taiwan and the non-existent threat to the existence and the adaptability to different habitats as not at risk ( least concern ).