Sorex gracillimus Thomas 1907

• Main Authors: Russell A. Mittermeier, Don E. Wilson
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2018
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Soricomorpha; Soricidae; Sorex; Sorex gracillimus; Sakhalin
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6869589; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54A02D8741FF25AF3C1B96FE94

10. Slender Shrew Sorex gracillimus French: Musaraigne gracile / German: Schlanke Spitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana esbelta Taxonomy. Sorex minutus gracillimus Thomas, 1907, “ Dariné, 25 miles [= 40 km] N.W. Korsakoff [= Korsakov], Saghalien [= Sakhalin Island],” Russia. Evidence from mtDNA and nDNA sequences classifies S. gracillimus in the S. minutissimus group, although this group may be better included under the S. minutus group; further studies of all Sorex taxa are needed. Three subspecies recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. S.g.gracillimusThomas,1907—SakhalinandKunashirIs. S.g.grantiOkhotina,1991—SKurilIs(HabomaiandShikotan). S. g. minor Okhotina, 1991 — Russian Far East (from S Magadan S to Primorsky Krai), NE China, and North Korea. Also present on Hokkaido and many small offshore islands, N Japan, but subspecies involved not known. Descriptive notes. Head—body 45-66 mm (immatures 45-52 mm), tail 36-49 mm, hindfoot 10-11 mm; weight 2-5-5-3 g (immatures 2-5-3-8 g). Tail of the Slender Shrew is usually longer than 75% of head-body length. Pelage is bicolored. Back varies from light brown in juveniles to dark brown in adults. Sides are slightly lighter than back. Belly is silver-gray to gray. In juveniles, dark back gradually changes to the lighter color of sides and belly, and light color of belly extends onto sides. In adults, contrast between back and belly colors is greater. Tail is sharply bicolored; tuft at tip oftail is dark. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 36 and FN = 62, with 13 pairs of metacentric autosomes and four pairs of acrocentric autosomes. X-chromosome and Y-chromosome are acrocentric. Habitat. Various habitats. Floodplain biotopes are exclusively occupied in the Sea of Okhotsk region in northern part of the distribution, old riverside larch stands being the most preferred. Young small-leaved forests are preferred on southern Sakhalin, and old dark coniferous forests and anthropogenic meadows and fields are avoided. Coniferous broadleaved forests on lower slopes of mountains are ...