30.

Buchara Shrew

Sorex buchariensis

French: Musaraigne du Pamir / German: Buchara-Spitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Buchara

Other common names: Pamir Shrew

Taxonomy. Sorex buchariensis Ognev, 1921,

Davan-su River Valley, Pamir Mountains (= Montane Buhkara), Tajikistan.

Evidence from mtDNA and nDNA sequences classifies S. buchariensis in the minutus group. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Pamir-Alay mountain system in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 55-69 mm, tail 42-50 mm; weight 3-6-8-2 g (immatures 3-6—4-8 g). Tail of the Buchara Shrew is indistinctly bicolored. Pelage is bicolored. Back is relatively light from sandy-brown to light brown, belly is light gray, and border between them is graduated. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 40 and FN = 60, with nine pairs of metacentric and submetacentric autosomes and ten pairs of acrocentric autosomes. X-chromosome is large metacentric, and Y-chromosome is small acrocentric.

Habitat. High-elevation birch and poplar forests, and less often juniper forests, on slopes with rich grass cover. In Uzbekistan, Buchara Shrews can also live in alpine meadow slopes with sparse bushes.

Food and Feeding. Diets of Buchara Shrews contain insects, mostly small beetles and arachnids.

Breeding. One pregnant Buchara Shrew had seven embryos, and two young were captured in July-August.

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 Buchara Shrew has a small distribution that needs to be carefully monitored.

Bibliography. Dolgov (1985), lvanitskaya et al. (1977), Tchernyshev (1956), Zaitsev et al. (2014).