Sorex asper, Thomas, 1914
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6869625 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A022-874E-FF08-A8D21316F612 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Sorex asper |
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Tian Shan Shrew
French: Musaraigne du Tian Shan / German: Tian-Shan-Spitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Tian Shan
Taxonomy. Sorex asper Thomas, 1914 View in CoL ,
“Tekes Valley ,” Tian Shan , Xinjiang, China .
Evidence from mtDNA and nDNA sequences classifies S. asper in the tundrensis group; S. tundrensis , which also belongs in the araneus group, is closest to S. asper genetically and morphologically. Monotypic.
Distribution. Endemic to Tian Shan in SE Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and NW China (Xinjiang). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 65-77 mm, tail 34-45 mm, hindfoot 11-13 mm; weight 6-10-3 g. Pelage of the Tian Shan Shrew is bicolored. Back is dark, varying from grayish brown in juveniles to dark brown or light brown in adults. Sides are lighter than back, and belly varies from grayish white to slate gray and often has pale yellow shade. There is no clear demarcation between sides and belly colors. Tail is bicolored. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 32-33 and FN = 58. There are six acrocentric and 24 metacentric autosomes. Trivalent of sex chromosomes consists of large metacentric X-chromosome, small acrocentric Y-chromosome, and medium-sized acrocentric Y,chromosome.
Habitat. Spruce forest variants, occasionally juniper habitats, regenerating clearings, larch and pine artificial stands, and wet alpine meadows up to elevations of ¢.3000 m. The Tian Shan Shrew prefers habitats in debris-strewn spruce forests with pronounced undergrowth, grass, and large stones and river valleys and avoids dry habitats. The Tian Shan Shrew is a common and often abundant species in favorable habitats.
Food and Feeding. Diets of the Tian Shan Shrew consists of up to 60% beetles and always include earthworms. Spruce seeds account for up to 15-30% ofgastric contents in winter. In laboratory conditions, the Tian Shan Shrew regularly cached food.
Breeding. Breeding season of the Tian Shan Shrew started in the second one-half of March in Kyrgyzstan and mid-April in Kazakhstan. Females had two litters/year, one in late April or early May and the other in July. Numbers of embryos were 1-8, averaging 6-1 in Kazakhstan and 5-3 in Kyrgyzstan. Few female young-of-the-year regularly reproduced.
Activity patterns. No information.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Although the distribution of the Tian Shan Shrew is small, it is often abundant.
Bibliography. Bekenov et al. (1985), Hoffmann & Lunde (2008), Yanushevich et al. (1972), Zaitsev et al. (2014), Zima et al. (1998).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
