Pribilof Island shrew

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Pribilof Island shrew

Vulnerable  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Sorex
Species:
S. hydrodromus
Binomial name
Sorex hydrodromus
Merriam, 1895
Pribilof Island shrew range
Sorex hydrodromus range
Synonyms

Sorex pribilofensis

The Pribilof Island shrew (Sorex hydrodromus or Sorex pribilofensis) is a small, short tailed species of

Cinereus shrew (Sorex cinereus) in its geographical distribution and morphological traits.[5] Not much is known about the population size, breeding habits, ecology, and the general biology of the shrew.[3]

Description

General description

Sorex cinereus, the Cinereus shrew, of which the Pribilof Island shrew is closest morphologically.

In the summer months, the shrew's pelage is tricoloured with a brownish back, pale-brownish sides, and a grey underside. In the winter, the shrew's pelage is bicoloured with a brownish back and a grey underside.[3][5] It has a short tail. The length of the shrew ranges from 9.3 to 9.7 cm (3.63 to 3.75 in); its tail length ranging from 3.3 to 4.3 cm (1.25 to 1.63 in); its hind foot length ranging from 1.2 to 1.3 cm (0.5 in).[5] Its weight typically ranges from 4 to 5 grams (0.14 to 0.18 oz).[3] It has a long, slender, pointed snout and has five-clawed toes on both fore- and hind feet.[5]

Diagram of shrew maxilla and mandible. i denotes the incisors, c denotes the unicuspids, P denotes the premolars, m denotes the molars. Note that this is not the specific diagram of the Pribilof Island shrew dentition.

Skull anatomy

The skull is broad, with a dental pattern similar to the Cinereus shrew (S. cinereus), the Barren ground shrew (S. ugyunak), and the Saint Lawrence Island shrew (S. jacksoni). The first and second unicuspid are similar in size; the third unicuspid is slightly larger or similar in size than the fourth. The fifth unicuspid is very small. It has large incisors compared to shrew species such as Alaska tiny shrew (S. yukonicus).[3] The anterior and posterior tooth cusps (incisors, unicuspids, premolars, molars) have a chestnut-coloured tip distinctive of the 33 species of North American shrews.[5][6]

Distribution

The Pribilof Island shrew is found exclusively on the Saint Paul Island of the Pribilof Islands, just west of Alaska, in the Bering Sea.[3][5] It is endemic to the Pribilof Islands, however there is some confusion of its type locality. The shrew has been found in marshy habitats dominated by Leymus arenarius (lyme grass).[3][7]

See also

References

  1. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T20391A22314622.en
    . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h MacDonald, S. O. (22 May 2023). The Small Mammals of Alaska (PDF). p. 5.
  4. ^ "Wildlife Notebook Series: Shrews". Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
  5. ^
    ISBN 0-679-44631-1
    .
  6. ^ "Soricidae". www.utep.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  7. ^ "Beach Rye, Beach Grass, Lyme Grass". Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository. Retrieved 2024-02-17.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pribilof_Island_shrew&oldid=1208534272"