Burmese short-tailed shrew
Blarinella wardi is a shrew in the genus of Asiatic short-tailed shrews ( Blarinella ). It occurs in the southwestern part of the People's Republic of China and Myanmar.
Features
With a head-body length of 6.0 to 6.9 centimeters, the type is one of the small to medium-sized shrew species and is also the smallest species of the genus. The tail reaches a length of 32-43 mm and the hind foot 10 to 13 millimeters; as in all species of the tail is thus very short. The type corresponds in appearance almost completely Blarinella griselda and Blarinella quadraticauda, however, is slightly smaller than Blarinella griselda. The back and belly coloration is uniformly dark brown and gray, the belly is much lighter and more gray. The top of the feet is white to gray - white and therefore brighter than the other two types.
The skull has a maximum length of 18 to 20 mm. It is significantly narrower than that of the other species of the genus with a maximum width of less than 9 mm. Like all species of the genus has Blarinella wardi in upper jaw per half an incisor ( incisor ) and then five 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 32 teeth.
Dissemination
Blarinella wardi occurs only in a limited part in the southwest of the People 's Republic of China as well as in neighboring Myanmar. In China, the incidence limited to the Yunnan province and perhaps the extreme southwest Sichuan
The species lives in China at altitudes of 1600-3000 meters and also in Myanmar it comes to heights of 2400 meters before.
Way of life
Over the life of this kind are, as in all species of the genus is limited data. Like all shrews also feed on these types of insects. Blarinella wardi lives mainly in forest areas at higher elevations, including the clearings and forest edges. Their diet they examined in the cool and dense ground support of the forest floor on the ground.
System
Blarinella wardi is classified as a separate species within the genus of Asiatic short-tailed shrews ( Blarinella ), which consists of three types. The first scientific description comes from Oldfield Thomas from the year 1915. Occasionally both Blarinella griselda as well Blarinella wardi the type Blarinella quadraticauda were assigned as the subspecies.
Within the species, no subspecies are distinguished addition to the nominate form.
Threat and protection
Blarinella wardi 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 "). Hazards for the type to go out mainly by deforestation and conversion to agricultural land and colonization of space.