Chodsigoa caovansunga, Lunde, Musser & Nguyen Truong Son, 2003

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 332-551 : 453

168.

Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew

Chodsigoa caovansunga

French: Musaraigne de Cao Van Sung / German: Van Sung-Braunzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de dientes marrones de Van Sung

Other common names: Van Sung’s Shrew

Taxonomy. Chodsigoa caovansunga Lunde, Musser & Nguyen Truong Son, 2003 ,

Mt. Tay Con Linh II , 1500 m (22°45’27"N, 104°49°49”E), Cao Bo Commune , Vi Xuyen District, Ha Giang Province, Vietnam .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from two localities in SW China (S Yunnan) and N Vietnam (Ha Giang Province); it might have a broader range in S Yunnan and N Vietnam.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 58-74 mm, tail 51-83 mm, hindfoot 14-16 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive lengths are 17-3—-18-8 mm, and tooth rows are 7-6-8-1 mm. Dorsal pelage of Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew is dark brownish gray, and ventral pelage is paler. Tail is longer than or equal to head-body length,is distinctly bicolored, and has a naked tip. Braincase is very dome-shaped. Rostrum is short and narrow and gradually tapers in premaxillary region. Mandible is stout, with robust coronoid process. The sole specimen from China is larger than those from Vietnam, although they are genetically related to each other. There are three upper unicuspids.

Habitat. Montane forest at elevations of 1300-2000 m in northern Vietnam and ravine rainforest at 350 m in Yunnan, China.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew has been only described recently and less than a dozen specimens from two localities are known. Habitat is probably decreasing due to deforestation and agriculture. It is not known if Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew can adapt to anthropogenic habitat.

Bibliography. Chen Zhongzheng et al. (2017), He, Deng Ke & Jiang Xuelong (2012), Lunde et al. (2003).

Figures

136. Elliot’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina hulophaga), 137. Northern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicaudus), 138. Southern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis), 139. Everglades Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina peninsulae), 140. Sherman’s Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina shermani), 141. Sichuan Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella quadraticauda), 142. Burmese Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella wardi), 143. Indochinese Short-tailed Shrew (Blarinella griselda), 144. Chinese Mole Shrew (Anourosorex squamaipes), 145. Taiwanese Mole Shrew (Anowrosorex yamashinai), 146. Assam Mole Shrew (Anowrosorex assamensis), 147. Giant Mole Shrew (Anourosorex schmid), 148. Desert Gray Shrew (Notiosorex crawfordi), 149. Cockrum’s Gray Shrew (Notiosorex cockrumi), 150. Large-eared Gray Shrew (Notiosorex evolis), 151. Villa’s Gray Shrew (Notiosorex villa), 152. Mexican Shrew (Megasorex gigas), 153. Taiwanese Brown-toothed (Shrew Epusoriculusfumidus), 154. Arboreal Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus macrurus), 155. Bailey's Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus baileyi), 156. Long-tailed Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus leucops), 157. Hodgson’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus caudatus), 158. Sichuan Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus sacratus), 159. Hidden Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus umbrinus), 160. Nepalese Brown-toothed Shrew (Episoriculus soluensis), 161. Himalayan Shrew (Soriculus nigrescens), 162. De Winton’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa hypsibia), 163. Pygmy Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa parva), 164. Smith’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa smithii), 165. Salenski’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa salenskii), 166. Dusky Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa furva), 167. Lesser Taiwanese Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa sodalis), 168. Van Sung’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa caovansunga), 169. Hoffmann’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa hoffmanni), 170. Lowe’s Brown-toothed Shrew (Chodsigoa parca), 171. Bornean Water Shrew (Chimarrogale phaeura), 172. Sumatran Water Shrew (Chimarrogale sumatrana), 173. Malayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale hantu), 174. Chinese Water Shrew (Chimarrogale styani), 175. Himalayan Water Shrew (Chimarrogale himalayica), 176. Leander’s Water Shrew (Chimarrogale leander), 177. Japanese Water Shrew (Chimarrogale platycephala), 178. Elegant Water Shrew (Nectogale elegans), 179. Mediterranean Water Shrew (Neomys anomalus), 180. Transcaucasian Water (Shrew Neomysteres), 181. Eurasian Water Shrew (Neomys fodiens)

Distribution. Known only from two localities in SW China (S Yunnan) and N Vietnam (Ha Giang Province); it might have a broader range in S Yunnan and N Vietnam.