273.

Sa Pa White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura sapaensis

French: Crocidure de Sa Pa / German: Sa-Pa-WeiRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Sa Pa

Taxonomy. Crocidura sapaensis Jenkins et al., 2013,

“ Vicinity of Tram Ton Station of Hoang Lien National Park, north slope of Phansipan Mt. area, 6 km west of Sa Pa Town, Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, 22°21’'N, 103°46’E, altitude 2200 m above sea level.”

Crocidura sapaensis might have been confused with C. wuchihensis or C. indochinensis, but molecular and morphological data support its distinct status. Reidentification

of specimens previously reported as the latter two species from Vietnam is necessary to understand correct distribution of C. sapaensis. Monotypic.

Distribution. Sa Pa district and possibly other adjacent mountains in Lao Cai Province, N Vietnam.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 50-65 mm, tail 37-47 mm. No other measurements or body weight are available. Condylo-basal lengths are 15-16-5 mm. The Sa Pa Whitetoothed Shrew is small. Tail is 62-84% of head-body length. Dorsal pelage is dark grayish brown. Tail is dark gray dorsally and slightly paler below. Skull has rounded and short rostrum and moderately broad interorbital region.

Habitat. Various habitats including mixed evergreen forest, forested banks of small

streams, open grassy glades, and primary forest with large trees at elevations of 1930-2200 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant Sa Pa White-toothed Shrews were recorded from May to mid-July, and mean litter size was three young (range 2-4).

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red Last.

Bibliography. Abramov et al. (2013), Bannikova et al. (2011), Jenkins et al. (2013).