Hodgsons's brown-toothed shrew

Episoriculus caudatus is a shrew of the genus Episoriculus. It is common in South Asia in northern India and Nepal, in central and southern China, as well as in Myanmar.

Features

With a head-body length of 5.8 to 7.4 centimeters, the type is one of the medium-sized shrew species. The tail reaches a length of 4.8 to 6.7 centimeters and the hind of 1.2 to 1.6 centimeters. The back color is cinnamon brown with gray shading, the belly is lighter in color. This is the coat of the subspecies E. c. umbrinus much darker brown. The tail is compared to other species with a length of slightly more than half of the head -body length is comparatively short. He is on the upper side uniformly brown, with E. c. sacratus with a second shade of brown, and whitish brown in color. The tops of the hands and feet are also whitish and have some brown hair in the middle.

The skull has a maximum length of 17 to 19 millimeters and therefore corresponds to that of Episoriculus macrurus, but has a longer and narrower snout. The tips of the upper incisors have conspicuously large gaps. The genome consists of a diploid chromosome complement of 2n = 64 chromosomes.

Dissemination

Episoriculus caudate is common across much of the high mountains of South Asia, Central and Southern China and parts of Southeast Asia spread. The area ranges in South Asia from northern India in Sikkim, West Bengal and Uttarakhand to Nepal. In the People's Republic of China is the way in the provinces of Xizang, Sichuan, Gansu and the southwest of Yunnan, also the species lives in the north of Myanmar.

Way of life

The preferred habitat of Episoriculus caudate is located at medium altitudes above 2200 meters, where they settled alpine pastures in the deeper layers of dense oak and rhododendron forests at higher elevations. In addition, the species inhabits forest edges of deciduous and coniferous forests and riverine habitats preferred with strong bottom or stony soils with grass and moss. It is found also in the field of human settlements and agricultural land.

The reproductive period falls into two periods; in April to June, the females get an average of six pups, in August-October three to five pups.

System

Episoriculus caudate is classified as a separate species within the genus Episoriculus, which consists of four types. The first scientific description comes from Thomas Horsfield from the year 1851. Originally endemic to Taiwan shrew Episoriculus fumidus was regarded as a subspecies of E. caudatus, but later described as an independent species.

Within the species, in addition to the nominate caudatus caudatus with E. E. caudatus caudatus sacratus and E. umbrinus three subspecies distinguished.

Threat and protection

The type is determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the relatively large distribution range in Asia, classified their easy adaptability and the stock size is assumed to be not at risk ( " least concern "). Threats to the species are not known and a significant decline in populations is not accepted, regionally it may be threatened by habitat changes.