Neomys fodiens Pennant, 1771

Jo, Yeong-Seok, Baccus, John T. & Koprowski, John L., 2018, Mammals of Korea: a review of their taxonomy, distribution and conservation status, Zootaxa 4522 (1), pp. 1-216 : 20-22

Neomys fodiens Pennant, 1771 —Eurasian Water Shrew

Sorex fodiens Pennant, 1771 p.308 ; Type locality-Berlin, Germany.

Neomys fodiens orientis Thomas, 1914 p.564 ; Type locality- Swamps of Kammanajaretschka River, Semirechyia, Russian central Asia; Won, 1968 p.62; Yoon, 1992 p.22 ( Won (1968) and Yoon (1992) used the name orientalis , perhaps a misprint of orientis).

N. watasei Kishida, 1930 p.372 (Nomen nudum).

N. fodiens watasei: Kuroda, 1941 p.114 ; Type locality- Toyohara , Sakhalin Island, Russia.

N. limchunhunii Won, 1954 p.41 ; Type locality- Pungseo , Ryanggang Province, Korea.

N. fodiens: Won, 1968 p.62 ; Han, 1994 p.45; Won & Smith, 1999 p.9; Han, 2004a p.28.

Range: Eurasian water shrews inhabit the northeastern peninsula from Mt. Baekdu southward to Mt. Seorak National Park along high mountain ranges ( Fig. 9 ). Since the first collection of this species in 1953 near Ryanggang Province, mammalogists have viewed N. fodiens as a species from North Korea ( Won 1968). However, since 2007 this shrew has been observed in South Korea (NIBR 2012).

Remarks: This species was first described as a new species, Neomys limchunhunii Won, 1955 . Korean populations of the Eurasian water shrew are now considered N. fodiens orientis . Literature citations previously referred to this shrew as N. f. orientalis ( Won 1968; Yoon 1992; Won & Smith 1999), but Neomys fodiens orientis Thomas, 1914 had priority over Neomys fodiens orientalis Hinton, 1915 as the proper scientific name ( Corbet 1978).

Conservation status: The North Korean government classified N. fodiens as a ‘Rare’ species (MAB National Committee of DPR Korea 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Range map of Neomys fodiens in Korea.