Sorex pribilofensis Merriam 1895

• 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 pribilofensis; Bering Sea; Tundra; Alaska
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6869728; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6869728

68. Pribilof Island Shrew Sorex pribilofensis French: Musaraigne des Pribilof / German: Pribilof-Rotzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Pribilof Other common names: Pribilof Shrew Taxonomy. Sorex pribilofensis Merriam, 1895, “ St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea,” Alaska, USA. Sorex pribilofensis is in the S. cinereus group and subgenus Otisorex. It is included in the Beringian clade with S. ugyunak, S. portenkoi, S. jacksomi, S. camtschaticus, and S. leucogaster, although all six species could represent one wide-ranging species based on genetic information. Nevertheless, they are retained as distinct here until addi- tional research is conducted. Sorex pribilofensis has generally been known as S. hydrodromus Dobson, 1889, which has priority; however, the type specimen is from Unalaska Island where no shrews have been recorded recently, indicating that the type locality was in error. The type specimen of S. hydrodromus also had a skull that was more typical of the generally Palearctic S. araneus group. Because of the uncertainty behind the type specimen identity and locality of S. hydrodromus, the name S. pribilofensis is applied to shrews on Pribilof Island. Monotypic. Distribution. St. Paul I, Pribilof Is, off W Alaska, USA. Descriptive notes. Head—body 59-67 mm, tail 31-32 mm, hindfoot 13 mm; weight 4-6 g. The Pribilof Island Shrew is medium-sized, similar to the Barren Ground Shrew (S. ugyunak). Dorsum is grayish brown, and sides and venter are whitish or yellowish white. Tail is relatively short, narrow, and bicolored, being brown above and whitish below. Teeth are dark red. There are five unicuspids,fifth is minute, and first through fourth get slightly smaller from front to back. Habitat. Most common in dune and grass-umbel habitats in maritime tundra, less common in forb and mixed habitats, and absent in upland habitats or areas with large amounts of Carex (Cyperaceae). Food and Feeding. Pribilof Island Shrews primarily eat small soft-bodied invertebrates, and stomach samples have contained ...