A revision of the geographical distributions of the shrews Crocidura tanakae and C. attenuata based on genetic species identification in the mainland of China

By

Li, Yaoyao
Li, Haotian
Masaharu, Motokawa
Wu, Yi
Masashi, Harada
Sun, Huimei
Mo, Xinmin
Wang, Jing
Li, Yuchun

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

869

Pages

147-160

Subjects

Crocidura attenuata , Crocidura tanakae , Geographical distribution , mainland of China , Taiwan Island

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.869.33858

 

Abstract

The Taiwanese gray shrew (Crocidura tanakae) and Asian gray shrew (C. attenuata) are so similar in size and morphology that the taxonomic status of the former has changed several times since its description;C. tanakaehas also been regarded as an endemic species of Taiwan Island. In recent years, molecular identification has led to several reports ofC. tanakaebeing distributed in the mainland of China. In this study, we determine the geographical distribution ofC. attenuataandC. tanakaebased on more than one hundred specimens collected during 2000 to 2018 over a wide area covering the traditional ranges of the two species in the mainland of China, and show a substantial revision of their distributions. Among 110 individuals, 33C. attenuataand 77C. tanakaewere identified byCytbgene and morphologies. Our results show, (1)C. attenuataandC. tanakaeare distributed sympatrically in the mainland of China; (2) contrary to the previous reports, the distribution range ofC. attenuatais restricted and much smaller than that ofC. tanakaein the mainland of China; (3) Hainan Island, like Taiwan Island, is inhabited byC. tanakaeonly according to the present data.