Sorex portenkoi, Stroganov, 1956

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 : 418-419

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Portenko’s Shrew

Sorex portenkoi

French: Musaraigne de Portenko / German: Portenko-Rotzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Portenko

Taxonomy. Sorex portenkoi Stroganov, 1956 ,

Anadyr River , shore of Anadyr estuary , Chukchi Peninsula, Russia.

Evidence retrieved from karyotype com- position and mtDNA and nDNA sequenc- es classify S. portenkoi in the S. cinereus group and subgenus Ofisorex. Species in subgenus Otisorex mostly occur in North America. Palearctic species in subgenus Otisorex (S. camtschaticus, S. portenkoi , and S. leucogaster ) are virtually identical in

mtDNA and nDNA structures. Sorex portenkoi is sometimes considered as a Palearctic subspecies of S. jacksoni . Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Chukchi Peninsula, Russia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 53-60 mm, tail 25-36 mm; weight 3-7 g (one specimen). Portenko’s Shrew is small. Tail is relatively short and rarely exceeds 50% of the head-body length. Pelage is tricolored, dark brown dorsum has distinct boundary with light brown sides, and venteris light gray. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 60 and FN = 62, with 29 pairs of acrocentric autosomes. X-chromosome is large submetacentric, and Y-chromosome is small submetacentric.

Habitat. Tundra zone in open tundra habitats of seashore valleys, dwarf Arctic birch stands,riverside willow shrubs, alder thickets, and dwarf pine stands. Portenko’s Shrew prefers well-developed moss cover, tussocks, and plant litter accumulations at water’s edge.

Food and Feeding. Adult and larval small insects and spiders were found in gastric contents of Portenko’s Shrews.

Breeding. One young-of-the-year female Portenko’s Shrew was captured on 3 September that had reproduced, and her breasts were reduced.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Portenko’s Shrew dominates the shrew community on the Chukotka Peninsula and is common throughoutits distribution, except in western periphery of the distribution.

Bibliography. Andreev et al. (2006), Demboski & Cook (2003), Dokuchaev (1997b), Ivanitskaya & Kozlovsky (1985), Stroganov (1957), Yudin (1989).

Figures

0. Radde’s Shrew (Sorex raddei), 1. Alpine Shrew (Sorex alpinus), 2. Ussuri Shrew (Sorex mwrabilis), 3. Chinese Highland Shrew (Sorex excelsus), 4. Greater Striped Shrew (Sorex cylindricauda), 5. Lesser Striped Shrew (Sorex bedfordiae), 7. Flat-skulled Shrew (Sorex roboratus), 8. Eurasian Least Shrew (Sorex munutissimus), 9. Azumi Shrew (Sorex hosonoi), 10. Slender Shrew (Sorex gracillimus), 11. Laxmann’s Shrew (Sorex caecutiens), 12. Shinto Shrew (Sorex shinto), 13. Taiga Shrew (Sorex isodon), 14. Long-clawed Shrew (Sorex unguiculatus), 15. Chinese Shrew (Sorex sinalis), 16. Common Shrew (Sorex araneus), 17. Iberian Shrew (Sorex granarius), 18. Valais Shrew (Sorex antinorn), 19. Crowned Shrew (Sorex coronatus), 20. Caucasian Shrew (Sorex satunin), 21. Siberian Large-toothed Shrew (Sorex daphaenodon), 22. Gansu Shrew (Sorex cansulus), 23. Tundra Shrew (Sorex tundrensis), 24. Tian Shan Shrew (Sorex asper), 25. Apennine Shrew (Sorex samniticus), 26. Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus), 27. Maritime Shrew (Sorex maritimensis), 28. Eurasian Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus), 29. Caucasian Pygmy Shrew (Sorex volnuchini), 30. Buchara Shrew (Sorex buchariensis), 31. Tibetan Shrew (Sorex thibetanus), 32. Kashmir Shrew (Sorex planiceps), 33. Trowbridge’s Shrew (Sorex trowbridgu), 34. Arizona Shrew (Sorex arizonae), 35. Merriam’s Shrew (Sorex merriami), 36. Alto Shrew (Sorex altoensis), 37. Jalisco Shrew (Sorex mediopua), 38. Saussure’s Shrew (Sorex saussurei), 39. San Cristobal Shrew (Sorex cristobalensis), 40. McCarthy's Shrew (Sorex mccarthyi), 41. Salvin’s Shrew (Sorex salvini), 42. Sclater’s Shrew (Sorex sclateri), 43. Pale-toothed Shrew (Sorex stizodon)

Distribution. Endemic to Chukchi Peninsula, Russia.