Crocidura zarudnyi Ognev 1928

287.

Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura zarudnyi

French: Crocidure de Zarudny / German: Zarudny-WeiRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Zarudny

Other common names: Zarudny's Rock Shrew, Zarudny's Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura zarudnyi Ognev, 1928,

Baluchistan (border), Iran.

Initially, C. zarudny: was described by S. I. Ognev under the name tatianae but later in 1928 replaced it by the name zarudnyi. The former name was preoccupied by C. nyasae tatiana named by G. Dollman, in 1915 (now a synonym of the African C. olwiert). Formerly, C. zarudnyi was treated as a subspecies under C. pergrisea, but J. D. Hassinger in 1970 and F. Spitzenberger in 1971 argued for elevating it to a distinct species, which was followed by R. Hutterer in 2005. In a phylogenetic study of mtDNA cytochrome-b by S. Dubey and colleagues in 2007, C. zarudnyi was related to the C. suaveolens complex, with which it shares a chromosomal complement of 2n = 40 and FN = 50. Hassinger in 1970 described a new subspecies “streetorum” from south-eastern

Afghanistan, butits status needs clarification. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Iran, S & E Afghanistan, and SW Pakistan (Balochistan).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 55-62 mm, tail 43-48 mm, ear 9-10-5 mm, hindfoot 12-14 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-basal lengths are 17-4-18 mm. Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew is smaller than the Pale Gray Whitetoothed Shrew (C. pergrisea). Upperparts are pale gray, with tendency toward brownish cinnamon. Underparts are silvery white, less creamy than in the Pale Gray White-toothed Shrew. Feet are covered with white hairs. The form “streetorum” is slightly bigger and grayer. Skull is narrow and bulges in parietal region, not as flat as in the Pale Gray White-toothed Shrew. Zarudny’s Whitetoothed Shrew has shorter rostrum and heavier mandible than the Pale Gray Whitetoothed Shrew.

Habitat. Arid mountains and steppes in stony plateaus and scrub-covered loess with deep soil at elevations of 500-3000 m. Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew inhabits drier desert habitats than other species of Iranian shrews.

Food and Feeding. Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew eats insects and probably scorpions and lizards.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew is nocturnal and solitary.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew is often associated with human habitation and is found in burrows in sides of buildings and mud walls. It is of benefit in such habitats because it eats pest insects. It shared mud walls with lizards, snakes, scorpions, and mice in Iran.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Zarudny’s White-toothed Shrew has a wide distribution and presumably large population, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category. It has been reported in Hingol National Park and Ziarat Juniper Wildlife Sanctuary in Balochistan, Pakistan. General field surveys and research into its natural history are needed.

Bibliography. Dollman (1915b), Dubey, Nova et al. (2007), Habibi (2004), Hassinger (1970, 1973), Hutterer (2005b), Lay (1967), Mohammadi et al. (2013), Molur (2016h), Molur et al. (2005), Ognev (1928), Roberts (1997), Spitzenberger (1971).