32.

Kashmir Shrew

Sorex planiceps

French: Musaraigne a téte plate / German: KaschmirZwergspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Kachemira

Other common names: Kashmir Pygmy Shrew

Taxonomy. Sorex planiceps G. S. Miller, 1911,

“ Dachin, Khistwar, Kashmir (altitude, 9000 feet [= 2743 m]).”

Sorex planiceps is in the minutus group. Its taxonomic status is still controversial, and it is sometimes considered a synonym or subspecies of S. thibetanus . Monotypic.

Distribution. NE Pakistan, NW India, and SW Tibet (= Xizang), China.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 57-74 mm, tail 40-47 mm, hindfoot 11-13 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive lengths are 16-7-17-1 mm, and tooth rows are 7-7-5 mm. The Kashmir Shrew is small and similar to the Eurasian Pygmy Shrew ( S. minutus) and the Tibetan Shrew ( S. thibetanus) but larger. Dorsum of the Kashmir Shrew is brown, shading gradually into grayish on venter. Feet are light, and tail is bicolored, brown above, and light gray to white below. Skull is flatter than the Tibetan Shrew. Second upper unicuspid is smaller than first and third.

Habitat. Coniferous forest and alpine rocky habitats at elevations of 2280-3970 m.

Food and Feeding. The Kashmir Shrew is insectivorous.

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. Distribution, abundance, and population trend of the Kashmir Shrew are unknown.

Bibliography. Hoffmann (1987 1996), Miller (1911), Smith & Yan Xie (2008).