Soriculus nigrescens ( Gray, 1842 )

Chen, Zhongzheng, Pei, Xiaoxin, Hu, Jiangxiao, Song, Wenyu, Khanal, Laxman, Li, Quan & Jiang, Xuelong, 2024, Multilocus phylogeny and morphological analyses illuminate overlooked diversity of Soriculus (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae), with descriptions of two new endemic species from the eastern Himalayas, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 201 (2), pp. 534-548 : 541-543

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad131

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0EE61D6-B54D-42E8-9EA1-82E505AAF6F2Corresponding

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13305983

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B52D1A-C250-FFE0-D2BB-4F34627EFEF9

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Soriculus nigrescens ( Gray, 1842 )
status

 

Soriculus nigrescens ( Gray, 1842) View in CoL ( Table 1 View Table 1 )

Corsira nigrescens Gray, 1842: 261 . Type locality: Darjeeling , India .

Soriculus nigrescens pahari Hinton, 1922: 1053 . Type locality: Gnatong , Sikkim.

Soriculus nigrescens caurinus Hinton, 1922: 1054 . Type locality: Kumaon , India.

Soriculus nigrescens centralis Hinton, 1922: 1054 . Type locality: Bouzini , Nepal.

Suggested common name: Himalayan shrew; kmŧDzẽē.

Type locality: Darjeeling, India

Remarks: Sizeisthelargestinthegenus Soriculus (W = 17.6 ± 2.5 g, HB = 89 ± 3 mm; Table 1 View Table 1 ). Dorsal pelage colour varies from brown to black, ventral paler (Supporting Information, Fig. S2 View Figure 2 ). Tail is not sharply bicolored. Most individuals have a tail length ≤ 50 mm, averaging 52% of head and body length. Foreclaws are enlarged. The skull is broad, with the widest maxillary region in the genus ( Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). Braincase is flattened, and the posterior of the skull is angular rather than rounded. The basioccipitalbasisphenoid of S. nigrescens is well developed. The first upper incisor is small and the apex is straight downwards. There are four upper unicuspids; U 2 is the largest, whereas U 4 is minute. M 3 is reduced. The tips of teeth are slightly pigmented with orange or light red.

Comments: Soriculus nigrescens caurinus , S. n. centralis, and S. n. pahari were described as subspecies of S. nigrescens ( Hinton 1922) , but all of them were then considered as synonyms of S. n. nigrescens ( Mitchell 1977, Hoffmann 1985). We examined the photos of type specimens (Supporting Information, Fig. S3 View Figure 3 ) of the three forms, which show similar cranial features to S. nigrescens but distinct from the two new species (i.e. Soriculus sp. 1 and Soriculus sp. 2 ) we described below. First, the broader maxillary region and more robust teeth of S. n. caurinus, S. n. centralis, and S. n. pahari are corresponding to those in S. nigrescens , but distinguished from Soriculus sp. 1 (e.g. M 2 M 2 = 6.9 mm in caurinus; M 2 M 2 = 6.8 mm in centralis; M 2 M 2 = 6.9 mm in pahari; M 2 M 2 = 6.3 ± 0.1 mm, range 6.0– 6.6 mm in Soriculus sp. 1 ; Table 1 View Table 1 ). The coronoid process of the three forms is similar to that of S. nigrescens , but much shorter than that of Soriculus sp. 2 (e.g. HCP = 5.6 mm in caurinus; HCP = 5.9 mm in centralis; HCP = 5.9 mm in pahari; HCP = 6.7 ± 0.1 mm, range 6.6–6.9 in Soriculus sp. 2 ; Table 1 View Table 1 ). Second, according to the measurements provided by Hinton (1922), the tail length of three subspecies (TL ≤ 48 mm) is similar to S. nigrescens (normally <50 mm) but shorter than the two new species (normally> 50 mm). Third, the two new species are restricted to the eastern Himalayas and are geographically distinct from the three subspecies (within the range of S. nigrescens ). We therefore place them as synonyms of S. nigrescens . The pelage of the three forms is lighter and browner than the black coloured specimens collected in China, indicating a variation in colour of this species ( Mitchell 1977).

Distribution: The species has a wide distribution in the southern Himalayas, from Nepal through northern India (Uttarakhand, West Bengal, and Sikkim), Bhutan, northern Myanmar to southern Tibet (Medog, Chayu, Milin, Yadong, Nielamu, and Dingri), China. According to the distribution range, records from Nepal and northern India (see Jenkins 2013) are likely to be of this species. It occupies a wide elevation range from 700 m to 4500 m a.s.l. In Medog county, most of the individuals occur at elevations below 1450 m a.s.l.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Soricomorpha

Family

Soricidae

Genus

Soriculus

Loc

Soriculus nigrescens ( Gray, 1842 )

Chen, Zhongzheng, Pei, Xiaoxin, Hu, Jiangxiao, Song, Wenyu, Khanal, Laxman, Li, Quan & Jiang, Xuelong 2024
2024
Loc

Soriculus nigrescens pahari

Hinton MAC 1922: 1053
1922
Loc

Soriculus nigrescens caurinus

Hinton MAC 1922: 1054
1922
Loc

Soriculus nigrescens centralis

Hinton MAC 1922: 1054
1922
Loc

Corsira nigrescens

Gray JE 1842: 261
1842
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