Flat-skulled shrew

Sorex roboratus is a shrew of the genus Rotzahnspitzmäuse ( Sorex ). It occurs in parts of Russia, Mongolia and the People's Republic of China.

Features

With a head-body length of 5.8 to 8.7 centimeters Sorex roboratus one of the medium to large shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 31-43 millimeters - making it shorter than the rest of the body - the hind foot 12 to 15 millimeters. The back skin is very dark brown in color, the pages are bright and the abdomen gray sand color. The tail is sharply divided into a dark top and a light base.

The skull has a total length of 20 to 22 millimeters. Like most species of the genus has the kind in the maxilla 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 a dentition of 32 teeth. The roots of teeth are stained red as with most Rotzahnspitzmäusen.

The genome of Sorex roboratus consists of a diploid chromosome complement of 2n = 42 (FN = 70).

Dissemination

Sorex roboratus happens to the Pacific Ocean in the boreal coniferous forest and the forest - tundra in northern Asia from the Urals. The type in parts of Russia, Mongolia and the People's Republic of China is native. In Mongolia, the species lives along the basin of the Onon in the Khentii Mountains, on Chöwsgöl Nuur and the Khalkha in the Great Hinggan Mountains In China, the species is found only in the north of Xinjiang Province ago in the Altai.

Way of life

Over the life of this kind are of the genus is little data as in many species. Sorex roboratus lives in boreal coniferous forest and the forest - tundra and is adjusted accordingly to cold climates. Like all shrews feed on this species of invertebrates, while in the north mainly of earthworms and in the southern part of the range, especially of insects. The breeding season is in the summer and the animals can have three litters per year, each with seven to eight pups.

System

Sorex roboratus is classified as a separate species within the genus of Rotzahnspitzmäuse ( Sorex ), which consists of about 80 species. The first scientific description comes from Hollister in 1913, who described an individual from the region of Gorno- Altaisk in the Russian Altai. The type was sometimes known as a Sorex vir G. Allen, 1914, but the earlier description of Hollister was a priority and S. vir regarded as a synonym. Within the genus, the species is classified in the subgenus Sorex and S. caecutiens group attributed.

Within the species, no further addition to the nominate subspecies Sorex roboratus roboratus be distinguished.

Threat and protection

Sorex roboratus is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN) due to the large distribution area and the non-existent threat inventory as not at risk ( least concern ). In some regions are deforestation and fire is a threat to the habitats in other regions reclamation and drought is a potential hazard.