Notiosorex crawfordi (Coues, 1877)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 332-551 : 448

148.

Desert Gray Shrew

Notiosorex crawfordi

French: Musaraigne de Crawford / German: Graue Wistenspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana gris de desierto

Other common names: Crawford's Desert Shrew, Crawford's Gray Shrew, Crawford's Shrew, Desert Shrew

Taxonomy. Sorex (Notiosorex) crawford: Coues, 1877 ,

“ Fort Bliss , New Mexico, or vicinity.” Restricted by L.. N. Carraway in 2007 to “latitude 31-8°N, longitude 106-4°W.”

Notiosorex is sister to Megasorex , both of which are the only living genera of Notiosoricini. All species of Notiosorex were included in N. crawford : until revisions in 2000 and 2003. Geographical boundaries are currently unresolved within all four species in the genus, and additional ge-

netic and morphometric work throughout distributions of all species is needed. Possible subspecific taxonomy requires assessment. Monotypic.

Distribution. SW & SC USA (from S California E to extreme W Arkansas and from SE Colorado and Utah S to Texas) and N & C Mexico (Baja California Peninsula, including San Martin I, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, N Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, E Jalisco, and Hidalgo).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 53-68 mm,tail 25-35 mm, ear 7-9 mm, hindfoot 9-12 mm; weight 3-6-3 g. The Desert Gray Shrew is a small species of desert shrew. Dorsum varies from light grayish brown to very dark grayish brown (nearly black), and venteris white or pale gray. Feet are broad, with relatively short claws. Tail is ¢.33% of head-body length, unicolored pale gray or slightly bicolored, and covered with very short hairs. Ears are long and conspicuous, being the same color as dorsal pelage externally and pinkish internally; eyes are small but large compared with other shrews; and snoutis pink with dark line on ridge extending to tip of rostrum. Females have three inguinal mammae. Extension of roof of glenoid fossa forms prominent ridge on lateral side of cranium, distinguishing it from the Large-eared Gray Shrew (N. evotis ); paroccipital processes lie against exoccipitals and are small; coronoid processes are slender relative to their height; and length of middle foreclaw is longer than in Cockrum’s Gray Shrew ( N. cockrumi ). There are three unicuspids, and teeth are entirely white, with no pigmentation,as in all species of Notiosorex . Chromosomal complement has 2n = 62 and FN = 94 (Arizona, although this might represent Cockrum’s Gray Shrew) or 2n = 68 and FN = 102 (Texas).

Habitat. Usually arid regions with adequate cover from sea level up to 2600 m (in Arizona) and 2317 m (in Zacatecas). Desert Gray Shrews are typically found in desert

shrub habitats dominated by mesquite, agave, cholla, and oak brush, although they have been captured in riparian woodlands, pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa, Pinaceae ) woodlands, and grassy or gravelly desert washes. They can be found in a variety of other arid habitats, including deserts, semiarid grasslands with scattered cactus and yucca, chaparral slopes (in California and Baja California), alluvial fans, sagebrush, gullies,juniper woodlands,riparian associations, and village dumps.

Food and Feeding. The Desert Gray Shrew has a variable diet of small to medium-sized invertebrates including mealworms, cutworms, cockroaches, crickets, earwigs, sowbugs, moths, beetles, and centipedes. Moth, beetles, earwigs, crickets, cockroaches, and sowbugs seem to make up larger proportions of their diets based on captive individuals. They will feed on carrion of vertebrates when given the opportunity, small mammals (although not living rodents), birds, and lizards. They feed epigeally and attack prey voraciously, generally immobilizing them by tearing off limbs and biting heads. Coprophagy has been reported.

Breeding. Reproductive activity of the Desert Gray Shrew seems to be most common throughout spring and summer and has been recorded in April-November in the southwestern USA. Length of gestation is unknown, butlitters generally have 3-5 young. Newborns are naked and blind, with undeveloped ears and rudimentary digits without claws. Young leave nests at ¢.40 days old, and wear is evident on their teeth by ¢.90 days old.

Activity patterns. Desert Gray Shrews can be found day and night, foraging with bouts of rest, but they tend to be found more commonly at night. They are primarily epigeal, foraging aboveground with little to no digging. They often build nests in secluded areas under rocks or logs in depressions in the ground, and they can even use other animals’ nests after they have been abandoned. Runways are rarely developed in association with nests, and runways of other desert rodents are often used. Nests commonly have two side openings and are made of unshredded plant materials. Feces are dropped strategically on high places to convey territories.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Desert Gray Shrews are much more tolerant of conspecifics than other species of shrews and can be caged together with little conflict when food is abundant; fighting can occur during food shortages in the wild. Most activities occur in territories, although the extent that they are protected and their general size are unknown. Relative abundances are 1-26 captures/100 trap nights in Arizona.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Desert Gray Shrew has a wide distribution, including disturbed habitats. It is found in various protected areas and is common throughout its distribution.

Bibliography. Armstrong & Jones (1972b), Baker et al. (2003), Carraway (2007, 2010, 2014d), Carraway &Timm (2000), Coulombe & Banta (1964), Duncan & Corman (1991), Hoffmeister & Goodpaster (1962), McAliley et al. (2007), Punzo (2003b), Schulz et al. (1970), Simons et al. (1990), Timm et al. (2016).

Figures

136. Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina hulophaga), 137. Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicaudus), 138. Southern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis), 139. Everglades Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina peninsulae), 140. Sherman’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina shermani), 141. Sichuan Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella quadraticauda), 142. Burmese Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella wardi), 143. Indochinese Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella griselda), 144. Chinese Mole Shrew (Anourosorex squamaipes), 145. Taiwanese Mole Shrew (Anowrosorex yamashinai), 146. Assam Mole Shrew (Anowrosorex assamensis), 147. Giant Mole Shrew (Anourosorex schmid), 148. Desert Gray Shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi), 149. Cockrum’s Gray Shrew (Notiosorex cockrumi), 150. Large-eared Gray Shrew (Notiosorex evolis), 151. Villa’s Gray Shrew (Notiosorex villa), 152. Mexican Shrew (Megasorex gigas), 153. Taiwanese Brown-toothed (Shrew Epusoriculusfumidus), 154. Arboreal Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus macrurus), 155. Bailey's Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus baileyi), 156. Long-tailed Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus leucops), 157. Hodgson’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus caudatus), 158. Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus sacratus), 159. Hidden Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus umbrinus), 160. Nepalese Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus soluensis), 161. Himalayan Shrew (Soriculus nigrescens), 162. De Winton’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa hypsibia), 163. Pygmy Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa parva), 164. Smith’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa smithii), 165. Salenski’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa salenskii), 166. Dusky Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa furva), 167. Lesser Taiwanese Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa sodalis), 168. Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa caovansunga), 169. Hoffmann’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa hoffmanni), 170. Lowe’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa parca), 171. Bornean Water Shrew (Chimarrogale phaeura), 172. Sumatran Water Shrew (Chimarrogale sumatrana), 173. Malayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale hantu), 174. Chinese Water Shrew (Chimarrogale styani), 175. Himalayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale himalayica), 176. Leander’s Water Shrew (Chimarrogale leander), 177. Japanese Water Shrew (Chimarrogale platycephala), 178. Elegant Water Shrew (Nectogale elegans), 179. Mediterranean Water Shrew (Neomys anomalus), 180. Transcaucasian Water (Shrew Neomysteres), 181. Eurasian Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens)

Distribution. SW & SC USA (from S California E to extreme W Arkansas and from SE Colorado and Utah S to Texas) and N & C Mexico (Baja California Peninsula, including San Martin I, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, N Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, E Jalisco, and Hidalgo).