73.

Paramushir Shrew

Sorex leucogaster

French: Musaraigne de Paramouchir / German: ParamuschirSpitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Paramushir

Taxonomy. Sorex leucogaster Kuroda, 1933,

Paramushir Island, Russia. Restricted by J. R. Ellerman and T. C. S. Morrison-Scott in 1951 to “ Nasauki, Amamu-shiru, 200 ft. [= 61 m], North Kurile Islands.”

Evidence from mtDNA and nDNA sequences classifies S. leucogaster in the Sorex cinereus group and subgenus Otisorex, which occur mostly in North America. Palearctic species of Otisorex (S. camtschaticus, S. portenkoi, and S. leucogaster) are virtu-

ally identical in mtDNA and nDNA structures. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Paramushir I, N Kuril Is, Russia.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 49-65 mm, tail 38-46 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Tail of the Paramushir Shrew is up to 78% of head-body length. Pelage is tricolored, with distinct mantle in juveniles. Dorsum is dark brown, sides are pale gray, and venteris light gray. Adults are virtually bicolored and have particularly distinct mantle, with sharp border between dark brown dorsum and light gray (whitish) sides and venter. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 66 and FN = 70, with 31 pairs of acrocentric and one pair of subtelocentric autosomes. X-chromosomeis large submetacentric, and Y-chromosome is small acrocentric.

Habitat. Riverside bush habitat.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Female young-of-the-year are involved in reproduction, eleven embryos were detected in a pregnant female, and lactation was observed in two of three reproducing females caught in the end of August.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Paramushir Shrew is less abundant than other species of shrews on Paramushir.

Bibliography. Andreev et al. (2006), Bannikova & Lebedev (2012), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951), Ivanitskaya & Kozlovsky (1985), Okhotina (1977), Yudin (1971).