Crocidura sibirica Dukelsky 1930

282.

Siberian White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura sibirica

French: Crocidure de Sibérie / German: Sibirien-WeiRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Siberia

Other common names: Siberian Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura leucodon sibirica Dukelsky, 1930,

Oznatchenoie, 96 km south of Minusinsk, upper Yenisei River, southern Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia.

Evidence from karyotype composition and mtDNA and nDNA sequences places C. sibirica in the C. suaveolens group. Although C. sibirica clearly differs in morphology from C. suaveolens, the two species have nearly identical DNA structure. Monotypic.

Distribution. SC Russia (S regions of West and Central Siberia) and extreme NE Kazakhstan.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 77-86 mm (immatures 60-74 mm), tail 31-38 mm, hindfoot 10-13 mm; weight 7-5-9-4 ¢ (immatures 5-7 g). The Siberian White-toothed Shrew is medium-sized and heavily built. Tail is short, rarely exceeding 50% of headbody length. Pelage is bicolored and more similar to that of species of Sorex than species of Crocidura. Dorsum is dark brown or grayish brown, and venter is light gray. Color boundary between dorsum and venteris only distinct in adults. Tail is unicolored and dark or grayish brown. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 40 and FN = 50, with four pairs of metacentric and submetacentric autosomes and 15 pairs of acrocentric autosomes. X-chromosome is large metacentric, and Y-chromosome is small acrocentric.

Habitat. Low-density forests and forest clearings including light coniferous—smallleaved forests and occasionally floodplain willow shrubs in eastern regions of the distribution. The Siberian White-toothed Shrew avoids dark coniferous taiga, excessively wet swampy areas, and xeromorphic open habitats.

Food and Feeding. The Siberian White-toothed Shrew mostly eats insects. Lamellicorn beetles, ground beetle larvae, ant-like flower beetles, treehoppers, and grasshoppers were found in stomachs.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Siberian White-toothed Shrew is common in central Altai and rare in all other regions of its distribution. It is on regional Red Lists of Altai Krai and Novosibirsk and Tomsk regions.

Bibliography. Bannikova, Lebedev et al. (2006), Bannikova, Sheftel et al. (2009), Bekenov et al. (1985), Vinogradov & Ekimov (2014), Yudin (1987, 1989), Yudin et al. (1979).