Soricinae G. Fischer, 1814

Abramov, Alexei V., 2021, An annotated checklist of the insectivores (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla) of Laos, Zootaxa 5006 (1), pp. 13-25 : 17-18

Subfamily Soricinae G. Fischer, 1814

[ Episoriculus baileyi ( Thomas, 1914) – Bailey’s red-toothed shrew]

Conservation Significance: Not assigned (Least Concern as E. leucops – see Molur 2016d).

Distribution: Not recorded from Laos, but found in Myanmar and southern China ( Motokawa & Lin, 2005) and north-western Vietnam ( Osgood 1932; Abramov et al. 2013a), and thus may occur in the adjacent regions of Laos. Taxonomic notes: Many authors place baileyi in E. leucops as a subspecies or its synonym ( Hoffmann 1986; Corbet & Hill 1992; Robinson 1999; Hutterer 2005; Hoffmann & Lunde 2008). However, Motokawa & Lin (2005) revised a species composition of Soriculus sensu lato on the basis of external and cranial morphological characteristics and proved Episoriculus baileyi to be a valid species. According to Motokawa & Lin (2005), the range of E. leucops is restricted to Nepal, whereas that of E. baileyi lies in north-eastern India, China, northern Myanmar and northern Vietnam.

[ Episoriculus macrurus ( Blanford, 1888) – Long-tailed red-toothed shrew]

Conservation Significance: Not assigned (Least Concern as E. leucops – see Molur 2016d).

Distribution: Not recorded from Laos, but found in southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan), northern Myanmar ( Corbet & Hill 1992; Hutterer 2005; Hoffmann & Lunde 2008) and north-western Vietnam ( Osgood 1932; Abramov et al. 2013a), and thus may occur in the adjacent regions of Laos.

[ Episoriculus umbrinus G. Allen, 1923 – Yunnan red-toothed shrew]

Conservation Significance: Not assigned.

Not recorded from Laos, but found in southern China and north-western Vietnam ( Abramov et al. 2017a), and thus may occur in the adjacent regions of Laos. Deuve (1972) recorded Soriculus caudatus from north Laos without supporting information to prove his record.

Taxonomic notes: The species complex E. caudatus sensu lato consists of five species: E. caudatus , E. macrurus , E. sacratus , E. soluensis , and E. umbrinus ( Motokawa et al. 2008, 2009; Abramov et al. 2017a). Most of these species have rather narrow ranges, whereas E. umbrinus occurs throughout western and southern Yunnan and is also found in north-western Vietnam ( Abramov et al. 2017a).

[ Chodsigoa parca G. Allen, 1923 – Lowe’s shrew]

Conservation Significance: Least Concern ( Chiozza, 2008).

Distribution: Not recorded from Laos, but reported for south-western China, northern Myanmar, Thailand ( Hutterer 2005) and north-western Vietnam ( Osgood 1932; Abramov et al. 2013a), and thus may occur in the adjacent regions of Laos.

Taxonomic notes: The specimen from north-western Vietnam was described as a distinct species Chodsigoa lowei ( Osgood 1932) . Now this name is considered a subspecies and assigned to C. parca ( Hoffmann 1986; Hutterer 2005).

Anourosorex squamipes Milne-Edwards, 1872 – Chinese mole shrew

Conservation Significance: Least Concern ( Molur 2016a).

Distribution: Northern Laos. Molur (2016a) showed a distribution map which includes the most part of northern Laos. One specimen (MHNG-MAM-1916.064) was collected from 2 km SSW of Phongsali. Known from neighbouring northern Vietnam ( Abramov et al. 2013a), southern China ( Hoffmann & Lunde 2008) and north-western Thailand ( Allen & Coolidge 1940).

Natural history: This is a fossorial shrew found at the altitudes of 1200–3000 m in various montane forests ( Hoffmann & Lunde, 2008). In south and central China, it is a very abundant shrew species in most montane habitats. Allen & Coolidge (1940) mentioned this species as very plentiful in Doi Inthanon Mt. (2400 m) in northern Thailand. In northern Vietnam, this species is rare ( Abramov et al. 2008).

Chimarrogale himalayica ( Gray, 1842) – Himalayan water shrew

Conservation significance: Least Concern ( Molur 2016b).

Distribution: Northern Laos.A single specimen (FMNH 32421) was caught in Phongsali ( Osgood 1932). Known from neighbouring northern Vietnam ( Abramov et al. 2017b) and southern China ( Hoffmann & Lunde 2008).

Natural history: This semi-aquatic shrew inhabits clear streams and small rivers in evergreen and mixed forests from 250 to 2000 m.

Taxonomic notes: Genetic and morphological analyses ( Abramov et al. 2017b) classified the specimens from southern Vietnam as a distinct species C. varennei being restricted to that region, whereas the polymorphic C. himalayica , which contained at least four cytochrome b haplogroups, occurs in central and northern Vietnam, northern Laos and southern China. Deuve (1972) recorded C. platycephalus from Laos, and by mistake his records included C. himalayica as a synonym. It is known ( Hutterer 2005; Abramov et al. 2017b) that C. platycephalus represents a distinct species being restricted to Japanese islands.

[ Chimarrogale varennei Thomas, 1927 – Varenne’s water shrew]

Conservation Significance: Not assigned.

Distribution: Not recorded from Laos, but occurs in the neighbouring areas of central Vietnam ( Abramov et al. 2017b), and thus may occur in the adjacent regions of Laos.

[ Blarinella quadraticauda (Milne-Edwards, 1872) – Asiatic short-tailed shrew]

Conservation Significance: Not assigned.

Distribution: Not recorded from Laos, but found in northern Vietnam and southern China (as Blarinella griselda , see Abramov et al. 2007b, 2013a), and thus may occur in the adjacent regions of northern Laos.

Taxonomic notes: Earlier, B. quadraticauda was considered to be restricted to Sichuan Province, China, whereas another species, B. griselda , is widespread from central China to northern Vietnam ( Jiang et al. 2003; Hutterer 2005). Recent genetic studies revealed that B. quadraticauda occupies a wide area from northern Sichuan to northern Vietnam and from north-western Yunnan to north-western Hubei ( Chen et al. 2012; Bannikova et al. 2017; He et al. 2018). The Gansu short-tailed shrew, B. griselda , has been re-evaluated as a distinct genus Parablarinella and its range is restricted to southern Gansu, northern Sichuan and Shaanxi only ( Bannikova et al. 2019).