the whitaker 's shrew ( crocidura whitakeri ) is a species of mammal in the family soricidae .

it is found in western sahara , algeria , morocco , tunisia .

its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland , rocky and sandy coasts .

it is a fairly common species and the international union for conservation of nature has rated its conservation status as being of " least concern " .

whitaker ' s shrew

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there are no specific conservation plans in place for whittaker’s shrew ( 1 ) .
whitaker , j . , d . pascal . 1971 . external parasites of the arctic shrew in minnesota . . journal of mammalogy , 52 : 202 .
whitaker , j . , w . hamilton . 1998 . mammals of the eastern united states . new york : cornell university press .
the vagrant shrew ( sorex vagrans ) , also known as the wandering shrew , is a medium - sized north american shrew . at one time , the montane shrew and the orizaba long - tailed shrew were considered to belong to the same species .
blair , w . n . ( 1926 ) blair ' s white - toothed shrew . scillonian 5 : 164 - 5 .
the arctic shrew ( sorex arcticus ) , also known as the blackback shrew or saddlebacked shrew , is a medium - sized shrew found in canada and the northern united states . separate species status has been proposed for the maritime shrew ( sorex maritimensis ) which is found in new brunswick and nova scotia and had been considered to be a subspecies of the arctic shrew . the tundra shrew ( sorex tundrensis ) was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the arctic shrew .
the apennine shrew ( sorex samniticus ) is a species of shrew in the soricidae family . the mammal is endemic to italy .
1990 . comparison of species - shrews . pp . 492 - 493 in s parker , s schmizs , b grzimek , eds . grizimek ' s encyclopedia , vol . 1 , 1st edition . farmington hills , mi : mcgraw - hill .
, but in general , olfaction is the strongest and most developed sense in shrews . a large portion of a shrew ' s brain is devoted to olfaction .
owen , james g . ; hoffmann , robert s . ( 15 december 1983 ) .
chakraborty , s . , pradhan , m . s . & subramanian , k . a . 2002 . crocidura nicobarica . 2006 iucn red list of threatened species . downloaded on 30 july 2007 .
carmen , ma .
sorex palustris water shrew
. animal diversity web .
, a female lesser white - toothed shrew and her young may form a
caravan
when foraging for food or seeking a place of safety ; each shrew grips the tail of the shrew in front so that the group stays together .
comments : see george ( 1988 ) for an electrophoretic study of systematic relationships among sorex species . s . monticolus ( which now includes s . m . obscurus ) is considered distinct from s . vagrans ( hennings and hoffman 1977 ) . sorex vagrans sonomae ( of california and oregon ) were elevated by carraway ( 1990 ) to full species status ( including 2 subspecies : sonomae and newly described tenelliodus ) . sorex monticolus bairdii , which formerly has been included in sorex vagrans , was regraded by carraway ( 1990 ) as a distinct species , sorex bairdii with 2 subspecies ( bairdii and permiliensis ) . jones et al . ( 1992 ) and hutterer ( in wilson and reeder 1993 ) followed carraway ( 1990 ) in regarding s . vagrans , s . monticolus , s . bairdii , and s . sonomae as separate species . carraway ( 1990 ) subsumed s . trigonirostris into s . vagrans and did not indicate that trigonirostris deserved even subspecific status .
churchfield , s . 1990 . the natural history of shrews . ithaca , ny : cornell university press .
wilson , d . , s . ruff . 1999 . water shrew , sorex palustris . pp . 38 - 39 in the smithsonian book of north american mammals . vancouver : ubc press .
breeding interval : arctic shrew females give birth to one or two litters each year .
and they may also prefer areas with more acidic soils than other local shrew species .
natureserve ( whittaker , j . c . , hammerson , g . & norris , s . j . )
churchfield , s . 1990 . the natural history of shrews . ithaca , new york : comstock publishing associates .
harris , s ; yalden , d . w .
mammals of the british isles
. the mammal society .
like all female mammals , water shrew mothers provide their young with milk after they are born .
the tail of the shrew is bicolored , gradually ranging from brown above to more gray underneath .
the nicobar shrew or nicobar white - tailed shrew ( crocidura nicobarica ) is a critically endangered species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is endemic to the great nicobar island of india .
type : miller , g . s . 1901 jun 27 . proceedings of the biological society of washington . 14 : 95 .
type : miller , g . s . 1902 may 29 . proceedings of the united states national museum . 24 : 776 .
the ansell ' s shrew ( crocidura ansellorum ) is a species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is endemic to zambia . its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests . it is threatened by habitat loss .
the excessive use of pesticides to control locusts may be affecting whittaker’s shrew , either by reducing the availability of its insect prey , or by poisoning the shrew when it ingests insects containing the chemicals ( 1 ) . however , this threat is not believed to be placing the species at risk of extinction at present ( 1 ) .
the breeding period of the ornate shrew starts in late february and ends in late september or october .
van zyll de jong , c . 1999 . tundra shrew . pp . 44 - 45 in d wilson , s ruff , eds . the smithsonian book of north american mammals . washington d . c . : smithsonian institution press .
nowak , r . m . ( 1999 ) walker’s mammals of the world . the johns hopkins university press , baltimore , maryland .
amori , g . ( small nonvolant mammal red list authority ) & stuart , s . n . ( global mammal assessment team )
species of the crocidura genus are more commonly called ‘white - toothed shrews’ , a name that distinguishes them from the closely related red - toothed shrews , whose teeth are coloured by iron deposits ( 2 ) . very little is known about whittaker’s shrew , but crocidura shrews generally have short , smooth , thick fur and a long , bristly tail ( 3 ) . the colouration of whittaker’s shrew is said to be similar to the lesser white - toothed shrew ( crocidura suaveolens ) , which has brownish - grey fur on the back , a white belly and white legs ( 4 ) .
water shrews are short - lived . the typical life span of a water shrew is about 18 months .
. like other shrew species , it has a high metabolic rate and needs to feed frequently . it eats
churchfield , s . ( 1988 ) shrews of the british isles . shire natural history series no 30 . shire publications , princes risborough .
in 1975 the species was recorded from campbell bay national park to the galathea river , but in a subsequent survey in 1984 , no specimens were observed in the same area ( s . s . saha pers . comm . ) . the population is considered to be decreasing .
shrew species communicate with different types of calls as well , for example , chirps are sometimes used in courtship .
the only known predators of arctic shrews are owls . the remains of an arctic shrew have been found in a
the black shrew ( suncus ater ) is a white - toothed shrew only known from mount kinabalu in the malaysian state of sabah on the island of borneo . it is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range . it is the smallest shrew of its kind and lives in parts of middle asia .
macdonald , s . 2003 . the small mammals of alaska : a field handbook of the shrews and small rodents . unpublished : unpublished draft .
type : miller , g . s . 1909 may . annals and magazine of natural history ( ser . 8 ) . 3 : 417 .
air bubbles are trapped in the thick fur when the animal dives underwater . the air bubbles help the shrew with buoyancy and also allow it to engage in a behavior called “water - walking” . the water shrew can dive underwater for about 15 seconds , but is only able to if it is swimming vigorously . the air bubbles allow the shrew to swim , but as soon as the shrew stops swimming , then it will shoot back up to the surface .
the gueldenstaedt ' s shrew ( crocidura gueldenstaedtii ) is a species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is found in armenia , azerbaijan , china , georgia ( country ) , greece , kazakhstan , kyrgyzstan , russia , taiwan , turkey , and uzbekistan .
2004 . alpine shrew . pp . 254 - 260 in d kleiman , v geist , m mcdade , m hutchins , eds . grzimek ' s animal life encyclopedia , vol . volume 13 , 2nd edition edition . farmington hills , mi : gale group .
team wild , an elite squadron of science superheroes , needs your help ! your mission : protect and conserve the planet’s species and habitats from destruction .
mutchler , s . 2011 .
sorex minutus
( on - line ) . animal diversity web . accessed april 06 , 2011 at urltoken .
stone , r . 1995 . eurasian insectivores and tree shrews - status survey and conservation action plan . iucn / ssc insectivore , tree shrew and elephant shrew specialist group : 1 - 164 . accessed april 05 , 2011 at urltoken .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
its feet have a fringe of hairs , more visible on the larger hind feet , which allow this animal to run on the water ' s surface .
the alpine shrew is nocturnal and is a skilled climber , using its tail for balance . it uses scent glands on its
shrews of similar size have a gestation period around 21 days , but no definitive information on the ornate shrew is available .
the alpine shrew is found in the mountains and uplands of central and eastern europe and parts of france . its range includes the
clough , g . 1963 . biology of the arctic shrew , sorex arcticus . american midland naturalist , 69 : 69 - 81 .
shrews have limited visual ability . the eyes of shrews are very small , and the optic region of the shrew brain is small .
buckner , c . 1970 . direct observation of shrew predation on insects and fish . the blue jay , 28 : 171 - 172 .
. there is a stretch of territory through baja where the shrew is not found , then it is found again near the southern tip .
it is listed on appendix iii of the bern convention . a major part of the alpine shrew ' s range in the carpathians is covered by the carpathians reserve ( about 45 , 000 ha ) and national park ( about 70 , 000 ha ) . there is a need for monitoring , particularly of isolated subpopulations .
macdonald , d . w . and tattershall , f . t . ( 2001 ) britain ' s mammals - the challenge for conservation . the wildlife conservation research unit , oxford urltoken
and is known as the scilly shrew . skull and tooth measurements of individuals from scilly are found to be intermediate in size of those in the
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shrews can make and hear sounds in high frequencies . calls are made for defense and courtship . they are also made when an shrew is afraid .
conaway , c . 1952 . life history of the water shrew ( sorex palustris ) . amer . midland nat . , 48 : 219 - 248 .
the nicobar shrew is a nocturnal and semi fossorial species , which lives among leaf litter in tropical moist deciduous forest ( molur et al . 2005 ) .
spitzenberger , f . 1996 . zoogeogeography of autria ' s mammal fauna . an interim report on atlas work in progress . proceedings of the 1st european congress of mammalogy , 1 : 55 - 65 .
and sent it to mr f w smalley
who had the largest collection of rodents in the country
. in 2010 , a scilly shrew made headlines on
. it was only discovered as the ship was about to arrive in penzance . the shrew was flown back to the isles of scilly the next day on a
the ornate shrew is found along portions of the west coast of north america and a few near shore islands . the northern extent is around 39 degrees latitude in
global range : sakhalin island ; siberia , from the pechora river to chukotka , south to the altai mountains ; mongolia and northeastern china ; alaska ; yukon , northwest territories , canada ( hutterer , in wilson and reeder 1993 ) . according to rausch and rausch ( 1993 ) , s . tundrensis is limited to the nearctic and the eurasian populations comprise a complex of sibling species distinct from s . tundrensis .
ticul alvarez , s . , matson , j . , castro - arellano , i . , woodman , n . , de grammont , p . c . & hammerson , g . ( 2008 ) .
the lesser white - toothed shrew found in a variety of habitats , among shrubs in coastal sand dunes or dense plants in rocky deserts , humid or arid conditions .
macdonald , d . w . , and tattersall , f . t . ( 2001 ) . britain ' s mammals - the challenge for conservation . the wildlife conservation research unit , oxford university . available from urltoken
lvarez - castaeda , s . t . , matson , j . , castro - arellano , i . , woodman , n . , de grammont , p . c . & hammerson , g . a .
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lawrence , w . , k . hays , s . graham . 1965 . arthropodous ectoparasites from some northern michigan mammals . occasional papers of the museum of zoology , university of michigan , 639 : 1 - 7 .
george , s . b . ( 1988 ) .
systematics , historical biogeography , and evolution of the genus sorex
. journal of mammalogy 69 ( 3 ) : 443–461 . doi : 10 . 2307 / 1381337 .
this shrew has a wide distribution in europe , extends eastwards to japan and also occurs in north africa ( 3 ) . it does not occur on mainland britain , but is present on jersey and sark in the channel islands and is also found on the scilly isles ( 3 ) , where it is thought to be represented by a subspecies known as the scilly shrew ( c . s . cassiteridum , endemic to the scilly isles ( 6 ) . it is believed to have originally been introduced to the scilly isles ( 4 ) and has since evolved into a new subspecies .
baird , d . , r . timm , g . nordquist . 1983 . reproduction in the arctic shrew , sorex arcticus . journal of mammalogy , 64 : 298 - 301 .
this shrew inhabits dry and rocky areas with little plant life , as well as coastal sand dunes , where it takes shelter in the burrows of rodents or among rocks ( 1 ) .
, fungi and green vegetation . once it ' s caught , the food is held by the fore feet and torn to pieces using the teeth through upward thrusting of the head . water shrews can live without food for up to 3 hours , but captive shrews have been found to feed almost every 10 minutes . the amount of food required by a water shrew has been estimated to be 0 . 95 g / day .
platt , w . , n . blakley . 1973 . short - term effects of shrew predation upon invertebrate prey . proceedings of the iowa academy of science , 80 : 60 - 66 .
comments : some recent literature regards sorex alaskanus as a subspecies of s . palustris ( junge and hoffman 1981 ; jarrel and macdonald 1989 ; jones et al . 1992 ; harris , in wilson and ruff 1999 ) , whereas other authors have regarded s . alaskanus as a distinct species ( hall 1981 ; beneski and stinson 1987 ; george 1988 ; hutterer , in wilson and reeder 1993 ; carraway 1995 ; baker et al . 2003 ) . inadequate material has prevented conclusive studies ( cook et al . 1997 ) . see george ( 1988 ) for an electrophoretic study of systematic relationships among sorex species . taxonomy of s . palustris currently is being studied by suzanne mclaren ( carnegie museum nat . hist . , pittsburgh , pa ) .
in which the males are in general bigger and heavier than the females . the size of the shrew can be anywhere from 130–170 mm and weigh from 8 - 18 grams . their tails range from 57–89 mm . the shrew contains black and brown fur colors and changes depending on the season . the color will change to lighter brown in the summer and a black color in the winter .
the lesser white - toothed shrew is a medium - sized shrew . the upperparts of the body and side grayish or reddish brown in color . tail relatively long . tail color varies from grayish to brownish above , paler below with bristles dispersed along the entire length . distinctive line dividing the upperparts from the underparts . underparts and feet whitish . snout broad . ears small but distinguished . eyes small .
the sicilian shrew ( crocidura sicula ) is a species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is found in sicily ( italy ) and gozo ( malta ) . its natural habitat is temperate shrubland .
diurnal animal with maximum activity from 5 to 8 pm , otherwise hiding between shrubs or under rocks . feeds on snails , earthworm and arthropods , especially insects . lesser white - toothed shrew secretes pheromones to communicate with other individuals . it is typically a solitary species . lesser white - toothed shrew breeds from one to seven times throughout the year , but mainly from march to may . female gives birth to five litters each containing from one to six young after a gestation period of around 28 days . the young open their eyes at 10 days and reaches sexual maturity after 3 months . lesser white - toothed shrew can live for 2 . 5 years .
it is listed on appendix iii of the bern convention . subspecies c . s . caneae , endemic to crete , is on appendix ii of the bern convention ( as c . ariadne ) . it occurs in protected areas within its range . no specific conservation actions are recommended .
hutterer , r . , g . amori , b . kryštufek , h . meinig , s . bertolino , f . spitzenberger , j . zima . 2010 .
sorex alpinus
( on - line ) . iucn red list . accessed march 06 , 2011 at urltoken .
feldhamer , g . a . , drickamer , l . c . , vessey , s . h . , merritt , j . f . and krajewski , c . ( 2007 ) mammalogy : adaptation , diversity , ecology . third edition . the johns hopkins university press , baltimore , maryland .
johnston , r . f . & rudd , r . l . ( 1957 ) .
breeding of the salt marsh shrew
. journal of mammalogy 38 ( 2 ) : 157–163 . doi : 10 . 2307 / 1376305 .
gillihan , s . w . & foresman , k . r . ( 2004 ) .
sorex vagrans
. mammalian species : number 744 : pp . 1–5 . doi : 10 . 1644 / 1545 - 1410 ( 2004 ) 744 < 0001 : sv > 2 . 0 . co ; 2 .
the alpine shrew ( sorex alpinus ) is a species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is found in the alpine meadows and coniferous forests of southern european mountain ranges : the alps , the pyrenees , the carpathian mountains and the balkans .
whittaker’s shrewcan be found across north africa , in morocco , algeria , tunisia and egypt , the spanish northern african territories of ceuta and melilla , and possibly also in western sahara and libya . it is distributed over a large altitudinal range , from sea level to up to 1 , 800 metres ( 1 ) .
this species is found from southern british columbia , canada south to monterrey , california , and east to idaho , western montana , and northern utah in the united states . a disjunct subspecies s . vagrans orizabae found in the transverse volcanic belt of mexico was recently elevated to species status ( carraway , 2007 ) .
stiff hairs along the sides of the hind feet are found only in the water shrew and the pacific water shrew ( sorex bendirii ) . the latter , a pacific northwest species , differs in being slightly larger ( 8 . 9 - 9 . 7 cm , 3 . 5 - 3 . 8 inches , body length ) and dark brown rather than blackish - gray ( burt and grossenheider 1976 ) . see carraway ( 1995 ) for a key to western north american soricids based primarily on dentaries .
the average life expectancy of a vagrant shrew has been estimated at a little over six months . however , they can live much longer ; although few survive for more than seventeen months , a few survive their second winter and reach two years of age .
possessing an extremely high metabolism , shrews have to feed every two to three hours to meet the demands of this high energy requirement , and often eat more than their body weight in food every day ( 6 ) . the diet of crocidura shrews typically consists of invertebrates , frogs , toads and lizards , and the bodies of recently killed animals ( 5 ) . another consequence of a shrew’s high metabolism and resultant active lifestyle is a rather short life span ( 2 ) ; shrews rarely live longer than a year , making them the shortest lived mammals in the world ( 6 ) .
type for crocidura suaveolens catalog number : usnm 105801 collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of vertebrate zoology , division of mammals sex / stage : female ; adult preparation : skin ; skull collector ( s ) : e . zollikofer year collected : 1900 locality : zuberwangen , sankt gallen , switzerland , europe
hutterer , r . ; amori , g . ; kryštufek , b . ; meinig , h . ; bertolino , s . ; spitzenberger , f . ; zima , j . ( 2008 ) . ' sorex alpinus ' . in : iucn 2008 . iucn red list of threatened species . retrieved 2013 - 08 - 21 .
the appenine shrew is endemic to the italian peninsula . it is recorded from the appenines to calabria , at altitudes between 300 m and 1 , 160 m , but its exact distribution is poorly known ( hausser 1990 , 1999 , amori and aloise 2005 ) .
disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
the water shrew is a boreal species , also inhabiting relict habitat in southern mountains . it requires high quality water , preferably mountain streams , and abundant cover such as rocks , logs , or overhanging stream bank . suitable management consists primarily of maintaining these conditions . there are many areas ( e . g . , state and national parks ) in which habitat is adequately protected . the southern range of the water shrew may be shrinking through habitat fragmentation and local extirpation , but current information is inadequate to allow an evaluation of this hypothesis .
stewardship overview : the water shrew is a boreal species , also inhabiting relict habitat in southern mountains . it requires high quality water , preferably mountain streams , and abundant cover such as rocks , logs , or overhanging streambank . suitable management consists primarily of maintaining these conditions .
buchler , e . r . ( november 1976 ) .
the use of echolocation by the wandering shrew ( sorex vagrans )
. animal behaviour 24 ( 4 ) : 858–873 . doi : 10 . 1016 / s0003 - 3472 ( 76 ) 80016 - 4 .
although there is little information available on the biology of whittaker’s shrew , it is likely to be similar to be other crocidura species . crocidura shrews typically give birth to litters containing between one and ten young , which weigh just one gram each at birth . the young are hairless for their first week of life , and do not open their eyes until 13 days old , but are weaned after about 20 days and are sexually mature after just two to three months ( 5 ) . if shrew families have to move before the young are fully grown they do so by ‘caravanning’ ; the immature shrews form a line behind the mother , with each one holding onto the hind end of the one in front with its teeth . the grip between individuals in the chain is so strong that if the mother is lifted off the ground then all of the family are lifted up too ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
the american water shrew tends to breed from december to september and females usually have a three week gestation period where offspring will be born in the spring and summer . they usually produce two to three litters during that time . these litters can contain anywhere from three to ten offspring .
this species occurs from yukon and northwest territory to quebec in canada ; southwards to north dakota , south dakota , minnesota , michigan , and wisconsin in the united states ( hutterer , in wilson and reeder 1993 ; kirkland and schmidt 1996 ) . the disjunct populations in nova scotia and new brunswick have now been elevated to species status ( s . maritimensis ) .
there is little information about the mating habits of the arctic shrew , however males of most shrew species mate with many females , and compete with other males for females , so the assumption is that arctic shrews behave similarly . in wisconsin , the breeding season lasts from february to august , and the breeding season is shorter in more northern areas , from april to august . arctic shrew females give birth to one or two litters each year , and these litters range in size from 4 to 10 offspring , with an average of 7 offspring per litter . the gestation period ranges between 13 and 21 days , so the young stay with their mother until 5 to 6 . 5 weeks after conception , and males make no contribution to parental care . when they are born , young arctic shrews are helpless . their mother and are cares for them until the end of the weaning period , 20 to 24 days after birth . both female and male arctic shrews reach sexual maturity after one year . as much as 50 percent of all juveniles die in the first month , but the average lifespan of an arctic shrew in the wild is around 18 months .
loss of alpine water courses due to water abstraction and hydroelectric power is also a threat , as is loss of habitat owing to intensification of winter tourism in the alps . human land use is a direct threat and climate change may be a future indirect threat as a result of range shifts in other species that may be direct competitors with s . alpinus when ranges overlap .
lukacova , l . , e . dannelid , j . hausser , m . macholan , j . zima . 1996 . g - banded karotype of the alpine shrew , sorex alpinus ( mammalia , soricidae ) , from the sumava mts . . folia zoologica , 45 : 223 - 226 .
type for sorex tundrensis merriam , 1900 catalog number : usnm 99286 collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of vertebrate zoology , division of mammals sex / stage : unknown ; adult preparation : skin ; skull collector ( s ) : w . osgood year collected : 1899 locality : saint michaels [ = michael ] , alaska , united states , north america
arctic shrews can be found in a variety of habitats , but populations are highest in moist grassy areas near lakes , bogs , swamps , and ditches . in the upper peninsula of michigan , arctic shrew populations are the densest in spruce and tamarack swamps , as well as near lakes and streams .
type for crocidura nicobarica miller , 1902 catalog number : usnm 111788 collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of vertebrate zoology , division of mammals sex / stage : female ; adult preparation : skull ; remainder in fluid collector ( s ) : w . abbott year collected : 1901 locality : great nicobar island , nicobar islands , andaman and nicobar is , asia
occurs in a variety of habitats ( 2 ) , favouring dry ground , and has even adapted to living on the seashore and grassy sand dunes in the scilly isles ( 4 ) . like the greater white - toothed shrew , it often occurs close to man , living around outbuildings ( 3 ) .
management research needs : research is needed on geographic variation in habitat requirements . further research should be conducted on dispersion pattern and dispersal . research is needed on the effects of land and stream pollution on water shrew survival . the minimum population size needed to maintain genetic viability in a fragmented habitat should be investigated .
the nicobar shrew has been recorded from campbell bay national park ( possibly now extinct here ) and galathea national park in great nicobar islands ( chakraborty et al . 2004 ; molur et al . 2005 ) . additional studies are needed into the distribution , abundance , general ecology and threats to this little - known species .
type for sorex alpinus catalog number : usnm 112928 collection : smithsonian institution , national museum of natural history , department of vertebrate zoology , division of mammals sex / stage : male ; adult preparation : skin ; skull collector ( s ) : f . boettcher year collected : 1901 locality : mauseklippe , bodethal [ = bodetal ] , harz mountains , sachsen - anhalt , germany , europe elevation ( m ) : 630
is classified as
near threatened
on the iucn ' s red list of threatened species , however , more data are needed to determine broad population trends . major threats include the loss of alpine rivers and streams due to water extraction and hydroelectric power and increasing winter tourism in mountains of central europe . climate change may pose a significant threat in the near future as range shifts may increase interspecific competition for resources .
characteristic mammals of the ecoregion include : ornate shrew ( sorex ornatus ) , puma ( puma concolor ) , fringed myotis bat ( myotis thysanodes ) , california chipmunk ( tamias obscurus ) , bobcat ( lynx rufus ) , coyote ( canis latrans ) , san joaquin kit fox ( vulpes macrotis ) and bighorn sheep ( ovis canadensis ) .
like all shrews , the arctic shrew has a voracious and insatiable appetite due to its quick metabolism . it eats insects , worms and small invertebrates , with a large proportion of its diet made up of larch sawflies , though arctic shrews in captivity have been fed dead voles fly pupae , and mealworms . the only known predators of arctic shrews are owls .
the lesser white - toothed shrew has a wide global distribution . it occurs in the palaearctic , extending from the atlantic coast of spain and probably portugal ( where its occurrence needs further confirmation ) extending eastwards through europe and asia to siberia . the southernmost edge of its distribution reaches sinai ( egypt ) , asia minor , israel , saudia arabia , iran and china .
stockley , p . , j . searle . 1994 . characteristics of the breeding season in the common shrew ( sorex araneus ) : male sexual maturation , morphology and mobility . pp . 181 - 188 in j merritt , g kirkland , r rose , eds . advances in the biology of shrews , special publication no . 18 . pittsburgh : carnegie museum of natural history .
hibernation a winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal ' s metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained . whilst hibernating , animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer . in insects , the correct term for hibernation is ' diapause ' , a temporary pause in development and growth . any stage of the lifecycle ( eggs , larvae , pupae or adults ) may enter diapause , which is typically associated with winter .
the water shrew is classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) . it is partially protected in the uk under schedule 6 of the wildlife and countryside act , 1981 ( 3 ) . listed under schedule iii of the bern convention , and classified as a species of conservation concern under the uk biodiversity action plan , although not a priority species ( 7 ) .
the water shrew ( neomys fodiens ) is the largest of the british shrews ( 2 ) ; it has black upper parts and a whitish underside , between which there is a clear demarcation ( 4 ) . typically for most shrews , the snout is long and the eyes and ears are small ( 2 ) . the fur is short and dense , and there are often tufts of white around the eyes and on the ears ( 2 ) . stiff hairs border the feet and form a keel on the underside of the tail ( 2 ) , which aid in swimming ( 4 ) . this species is a ' red - toothed shrew ' ; iron is deposited in the enamel of the tooth - tips , making them more resistant to wear - and - tear , and giving them a red appearance ( 6 ) .
this shrew is the smallest of the ' white - toothed shrews ' ( 2 ) ; it lacks the deposition of iron in the tips of the teeth seen in red - toothed shrews ( 4 ) . the upper surface of the body is greyish or reddish brown in colour ; and the underside is paler ( 3 ) . the tail is covered in short bristly hairs ( 3 ) , and long whisker - like ( 2 ) white hairs ( 3 ) . although smaller and lighter , this species is very similar in appearance to the greater white - toothed shrew ( crocidura russula ) ( 2 ) , so much so that the only truly reliable method to distinguish between the two species is by examination of the teeth , and the relative sizes of the tail and hind feet ( measurements above ) ( 3 ) .
many shrews have such uniformly grayish coats that separate species cannot easily be distinguished , but both the summer and winter coats of the tundra shrew are highly distinctive . its summer pelage is tricolored , dark brown on the back , pale gray on the underparts , and brownish - gray or pale brown in between . its longer winter fur is brown on the back and grayish on the sides and underparts . the tundra shrew is common , though limited , in distribution in alaska and extreme northwestern canada , where it inhabits hillsides and other well - drained areas with dense vegetation . its food habits are not well known , but insects , earthworms , and parts of a small grass flower were found in the digestive tracts of some specimens . embryo counts in a small sample of pregnant females averaged 10 , which is high for shrews . links : mammal species of the world
the reddish - gray musk shrew ( crocidura cyanea ) is a species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is found in angola , botswana , democratic republic of the congo , lesotho , malawi , mozambique , namibia , nigeria , south africa , swaziland , tanzania , zambia , and zimbabwe . its natural habitats are temperate forests , subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests , subtropical or tropical high - altitude grassland , and caves .
of 1 / 1 5 / 1 1 / 1 3 / 3 with a total of 32 teeth . they swim well and make short dives in search of food . the shrew prefers aquatic insects such as ; stone flies and crane flies . they are known to also feed on small fish , vegetation , and snails . shrews require a lot of food and cannot go without food for anymore than three hours because of their high metabolic rate .
the breeding season can occur from april to august , but may be shorter in the north of the species ' range . arctic shrew females give birth to 1 or 2 litters each year . litters range from 4 to 10 offspring , with an average of 7 young per litter . shrews are pregnant for between 13 and 21 days . females nurse their young for 20 to 24 days . both female and male arctic shrews reach sexual maturity after one year .
the least dwarf shrew ( suncus infinitesimus ) is a species of mammal in the soricidae family . it is found in cameroon , central african republic , democratic republic of the congo , kenya , nigeria , south africa , swaziland , tanzania , and uganda . its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests , subtropical or tropical moist montane forests , temperate grassland , subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland , subtropical or tropical high - altitude grassland , and arable land .
management requirements : protection of habitat , especially water quality , is the primary management consideration . guidelines should be developed for activities with potentially adverse impacts such as logging . during timber harvest , buffer strips should be maintained along potential water shrew habitat ( christian , pers . comm . , 1994 ) . pesticide use that might impact aquatic / riparian invertebrate populations should be avoided whenever possible . in some cases it may be desirable to reintroduce shrews from nearby populations to restored habitat .
it is uncommon in the western part of its range , occurring at much lower densities than its congener c . russula ( libois et al . 1999 ) . further east it is more common . described as abundant and ubiquitous in at least parts of its global range ( harrison and bates 1991 ) . in the steppe forest zone in ukraine it is the most abundant shrew species , both in natural and agricultural habitats ( i . zagorodnyuk pers . comm . 2006 ) .
the alpine shrew is endemic to europe , where it has a disjunct range in the alps , the balkans , the carpathians , and a number of isolated mountains in germany , czech republic and poland ( spitzenberger 1999 , meinig 2004 ) . it previously occurred in the pyrenees , where it is thought to have gone extinct in the early 20th century , and in the harz ( spitzenberger 1999 ) . its vertical range is from 200 to 2 , 500 m ( spitzenberger 1999 ) .
, fungi and green vegetation ( wilson and ruff , 1999 ) . once in possession , the food is held by the fore feet and torn to pieces using the teeth through upward thrusting of the head ( sorenson , 1962 ) . water shrews can live without food for up to 3 hours , but captive shrews have been found to feed almost every 10 minutes ( nagorsen , 1996 ) . the amount of food required by a water shrew has been estimated to be 0 . 95 g / day .
in wisconsin , the breeding season is from february to august . the breeding season is shorter in more northern areas , from april to august . arctic shrew females give birth to 1 or 2 litters each year . litter sizes range from 4 to 10 offspring , with an average of 7 offspring per litter . the gestation period ranges between 13 and 21 days . the lactation period ranges between 20 and 24 days . the time from conception to weaning lasts between 5 and 6 . 5 weeks . both female and male arctic shrews reach sexual maturity after one year .
global range : ( > 2 , 500 , 000 square km ( greater than 1 , 000 , 000 square miles ) ) boreal and montane regions of labrador , nova scotia , and new england across canada to east - central alaska ( cook et al . 1997 ) , south to the northern great lakes region and in the western mountains to mid - california , nevada , utah , and new mexico ; a small , disjunct population in arizona ' s white mountains has not been observed in recent years ( hoffmeister 1986 ) ; another apparently disjunct series of populations in the appalachians ranges from southwestern pennsylvania to north carolina , tennessee , and georgia ( laerm et al . 1995 , brimleyana 22 : 47 - 51 ) . hall ( 1981 ) mapped the ranges of the subspecies .
the alpine shrew is 6 to 7 . 7 centimetres ( 2 . 4 to 3 . 0 in ) in length , not including a tail as long as its body , and weighs between 5 . 5 and 11 . 5 g ( 0 . 2 and 0 . 4 oz ) . it is a uniform greyish - black on its dorsal ( upper ) surface and greyish - brown on its underparts . the tips of its teeth are reddish - brown and it has a long pointed snout , small black eyes and rounded pink ears . its legs and feet are white and the underside of its hairy tail is yellowish .
occupies a variety of habitats , but populations are highest in moist grassy areas near lakes , bogs , swamps , and ditches . specifically , in the upper peninsula of michigan , arctic shrew populations are the densest in spruce and tamarack swamps , as well as near lakes and streams . they are often found in clearings in boreal forests , as well as marshes . other occasional habitats include dry fields , old fields , mixed conifer swamps , dense grasses adjacent to ditches , mixed grasses , strawberries and ferns at forest clearings , alder thickets , and dry marsh with grasses , sedge hammocks , forbs , cattail , willow , and red - osier shrubs .
the arctic shrew is most distinctive in its tricolored fur . it is dark brown or black on its back from its head to the base of its tail , while its flanks are a lighter brown , and its underside is lighter still grayish brown . even its tail is bi - colored , dark brown on the dorsal side , and gradually fading to a lighter brown on the ventral side . the fur is grayer in winter time , and its tricolor is most marked during the winter months from october to june , for the fur is thicker and brighter . arctic shrews molt twice a year , and the tricolor bands in the fur are less prominent in younger shrews .
water shrews are almost invariably found near streams or other bodies of water , where they find food and also escape from predators . these shrews readily dive to stream bottoms , paddling furiously to keep from bobbing to the surface—their fur , full of trapped air , makes them buoyant . they feed on aquatic invertebrates , insect larvae , and even small fish . in the water they are susceptible to predation from larger fish and snakes . on land , water shrews have a more typical shrew diet , feeding on a variety of invertebrates , including earthworms , snails , and insects . they also eat fungi and green vegetation . links : mammal species of the world click here for the american society of mammalogists species account
of the approximately 30 mammalian species of mammals present , one of them ( an endemic bat ) lives only in pine - oak forests . the level of endemism is high , and this is well demonstrated by the proportion of endemic species with respect to total recorded species . more than ten percent of the mammalian species found at sierra de la laguna are endemic . one notable mammal found along the far west coast , including california and baja , is the ornate shrew ( sorex ornatus ) . there are several threatened mammals found in the sierra de la laguna pine - oak forests , including : the mexican long - tongued bat ( choeronycteris mexicana nt ) . the isolation of this region has contributed to the scarcity of predators , and to the poor competitive ability of some animals . rodents and lagomorphs are virtually absent from the region
arctic shrews are found in a variety of habitats in highest density of 3 to 5 individuals per acre and each individual arctic shrew appears to limit its range to one tenth of an acre . of their various habitats , they found in greatest quantity and density in areas near bodies of water , such as lakes , streams , marshes , wetlands , bogs , swamps , ditches or open areas near wetlands . in the upper peninsula of michigan , they are found densely in spruce and tamarack swamps , in addition to other typical habitats . arctic shrews have been found in clearings in boreal forests , and occasionally in mixed conifer swamps , dry or old fields , dense grasses near ditches , mixed grasses , in the undergrowth of forest clearings , alder thickets , and dry marsh with grasses , sedge hammocks , forbs , cattail , willow , and red - osier shrubs .
water shrews are relatively large shrews with males tending to be longer and heavier than females . the total length of a water shrew can range between 130 and 170 mm , and the weight ranges from 8 to 18 grams . although the color of the fur may be variable , it is generally black or grey - black on the back and a silvery - grey on the belly , but appears more black in the winter and becomes more brown in the summer . water shrews can have tails varying from 57 to 89 mm in length . the tail is dark above and white or grey below . the hind feet ( 18 to 21 mm ) are larger than the fore feet and have a trim of 1 mm long stiff hairs on the toes and the inner and outer sides of the feet . a fringe of smaller stiff hairs is also found on the fore feet .
arctic shrews are solitary animals . adults are territorial . in one laboratory study , whenever two arctic shrews were placed together in a cage , one was dead within several days , though there was no sign of injury to the dead shrew and the cause for this mortality is unclear , however the result of this forced interaction has been repeatedly observed . arctic shrews are active during day and night , though there are contradicting reports on levels and cycles of activity throughout the day . one claim is that they are least active during mid - morning , while other reports describe alternating periods of activity and rest , with an average of fourteen periods of activity daily . arctic shrews are very active and move quickly . periods of inactivity are spent lying on the ground , either on one side or with the ventral side down , body rolled up , and head tucked under the body . grooming consists of wiping the forefeet rapidly along the mouth .
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thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the iucn red list of threatened species website , we are grateful for your input .
justification : a relatively widespread species in north africa , with no major threats at the presente , hence is listed as least concern .
population size and trends are unknown . it is a very difficult species to find and to track in the field .
c . whitakeri seems to be dependent on dry and stony habitats , with sparse vegetation ( i . e . , steppe or subdeserts ) . it is also found in sandy coastal dunes . the species shelters among rocks and in rodent burrows .
no major threats are known . the main natural predator of this species is the barn owl . it can be affected by pesticides , which are used massively against locusts in the southern part of its range .
this errata assessment has been created because the map was accidentally left out of the version published previously .
( errata version published in 2017 ) . the iucn red list of threatened species 2016 : e . t41366a115519360 .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
classified as least concern ( lc ) on the iucn red list ( 1 ) .
this information is awaiting authentication by a species expert , and will be updated as soon as possible . if you are able to help please contact : arkive @ urltoken
genus a category used in taxonomy , which is below ‘family’ and above ‘species’ . a genus tends to contain species that have characteristics in common . the genus forms the first part of a ‘binomial’ latin species name ; the second part is the specific name . invertebrates animals with no backbone , such as insects , worms , and spiders . metabolism the total of all the chemical reactions that take place in an organism , in order to produce energy and the basic materials needed for important life processes . the speed at which an organism carries out these processes is called its metabolic rate .


pachymerium ferrugineum is a species of centipede in the family geophilidae that can be found in central europe , the iberian peninsula , scandinavia , asian countries such as japan and turkey , and on african islands such as the azores , canary islands and crete .

it is also distributed in alaska and mexico .

pachymerium ferrugineum

pachymerium ferrugineum ( c . l . koch , 1835 ) - natural history museum
worms - world register of marine species - pachymerium ferrugineum ( c . l . koch , 1835 )
jennifer hammock split the classifications by nmnh entomology resource from pachymerium ferrugineum koch ( 1835 ) to their own page .
hox gene sequences from the geophilomorph centipede pachymerium ferrugineum ( c . l . koch , 1835 ) ( chilopoda : geophilomorpha : geophilidae ) : implicatio . . . - pubmed - ncbi
hox gene sequences from the geophilomorph centipede pachymerium ferrugineum ( c . l . koch , 1835 ) ( chilopoda : geophilomorpha : geophilidae ) : implications for the evolution of the hox class genes of arthropods
hox gene sequences from the geophilomorph centipede pachymerium ferrugineum ( c . l . koch , 1835 ) ( chilopoda : geophilomorpha : geophilidae ) : implications for the evolution of the hox class genes of arthropods .
hox gene sequences from the geophilomorph centipede pachymerium ferrugineum ( c . l . koch , 1835 ) ( chilopoda : geophilomorpha : geophilidae ) : implications for the evolution of the hox class genes of arthropods - sciencedirect
in the majority of habitats one species was overwhelmingly dominant ( from 41 . 5 % to 95 . 2 % ) . in rushes at oxbows and in the wet meadows it was lamyctes emarginatus , in riparian forests lamyctes curtipes , in thermophilous thickets lamyctes mutabilis , in sandy grasslands lithobius dudichi , and in the mesic meadows pachymerium ferrugineum . it was only in xerothermic grasslands that two species co - dominated ( lithobius dudichi and pachymerium ferrugineum ) ( table 1 ) .
chilopoda were collected throughout all the months of the study , although one can observe certain tendencies in particular species – especially with regard to four , most frequent species . lithobius curtipes was active throughout all the months , though predominantly in october and november . lamyctes emarginatus occurred from june to november , while it was most numerous in september . pachymerium ferrugineum was reported from april until november , especially in may and june , but also in august and september . finally , lithobius dudichi was most active in may and november .
( of geophilus ferrugineum c . l . koch , 1835 ) matic , z . ( 1972 ) . clasa chilopoda , subclasa epimorpha . fauna republicii socialiste românia , 6 ( 2 ) : 1 - 224 . bucuresti page ( s ) : 160 [ details ]
( of geophilus ferrugineum c . l . koch , 1835 ) zapparoli , m . ( 2002 ) . a catalogue of the centipedes from greece ( chilopoda ) . fragmenta entomologica , 34 ( 1 ) : 1 - 146 . roma page ( s ) : 94 [ details ]
distribution probably one of the most widespread chilopod species in the world . there are very few records , all from coastal shingle , . . .
distribution probably one of the most widespread chilopod species in the world . there are very few records , all from coastal shingle , from great britain . rather eastern distibution in scandinavia . [ details ]
barber , a . d . ( 2018 ) . world database of littoral myriapoda .
barber , a . d . ( 2009a ) centipedes . linnean society synopses of the british fauna ( new series ) 58 . field studies council , shrewsbury . [ details ]
iorio , e . ( 2005 ) contribution à la connaissance des chilopodes de bretagne ( myriapoda , chilopoda ) . bull . soc . linn . bordeaux 140 ( 33 ) : 149 - 156 [ details ]
johns , p . m . ( 2010 ) . phylum arthropoda subphylum myriapoda : centipedes , millipedes , pauropods symphylans , in : gordon , d . p . ( ed . ) ( 2010 ) . new zealand inventory of biodiversity : 2 . kingdom animalia : chaetognatha , ecdysozoa , ichnofossils . pp . 90 - 97 . [ details ]
palmen , e . ( 1949 ) the chilopoda of eastern fennoscandia . ann . zool . soc . zool . bot . fenn . vanamo 13 ( 4 ) : 1 - 45 [ details ]
przhiboro , a . ( 1994 ) fauna of terrestrial arthropods of the intertidal zone of kandalaksha bay , the white sea . unpublished phd thesis , st . petersburg state university . [ details ]
ecology a terrestrial species also occurring on seashores . apparently quite tolerant of seawater and so likely to be dispersed by rafting . [ details ]
a large ( to 50 mm ) reddish - orange centipede with 43 - 45 leg pairs and numerous small pores distributed over both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the coxae of the last legs .
it is known from a handful of coastal sites in south - east england , invariably in shingle above the storm drift line .
a terrestrial species also occurring on seashores . apparently quite tolerant of seawater and so likely to be dispersed by rafting .
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as far as i know , no soil centipedes have official common names . i made this one up , to refer to the elongate fangs and the fact that this species often occurs in the intertidal zone .
; also japan , alaska , mexico [ info from wikipedia , not checked . = v = ]
in soil , beneath rocks and debris , often in moist areas . this species is well - known for often inhabiting the intertidal zone where it can tolerate long periods of immersion in salt water .
small invertebrates . in the intertidal zone they eat barnacles , amphipods , polychaete worms , etc .
de jong y . s . d . m . ( ed . ) ( 2011 ) fauna europaea version 2 . 4
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to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
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barber , a . d . ( 2009 ) . littoral myriapods . a review . < em > soil organisms . < / em > 81 ( 3 ) : 735 - 760 .
barber , a . d . ( 2009a ) centipedes . linnean society synopses of the british fauna ( new series ) 58 . field studies council , shrewsbury .
iorio , e . ( 2005 ) contribution à la connaissance des chilopodes de bretagne ( myriapoda , chilopoda ) . bull . soc . linn . bordeaux 140 ( 33 ) : 149 - 156
johns , p . m . ( 2010 ) . phylum arthropoda subphylum myriapoda : centipedes , millipedes , pauropods symphylans , in : gordon , d . p . ( ed . ) ( 2010 ) . new zealand inventory of biodiversity : 2 . kingdom animalia : chaetognatha , ecdysozoa , ichnofossils . pp . 90 - 97 .
koch c . l . ( 1835 ) deutschlands crustaceen myriapoden und arachniden . in : ( panzer ) herrich - schaeffer ' s deutschlands insecten : pustet , regensburg . heft 136
matic z . ( 1972 ) fauna republicii socialiste romania . clasa chilopoda subclasa epimorpha : academiei republicii socialiste romania bucuresti . 6 : 1 - 220
palmen , e . ( 1949 ) the chilopoda of eastern fennoscandia . ann . zool . soc . zool . bot . fenn . vanamo 13 ( 4 ) : 1 - 45
przhiboro , a . ( 1994 ) fauna of terrestrial arthropods of the intertidal zone of kandalaksha bay , the white sea . unpublished phd thesis , st . petersburg state university .
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department of general zoology , adam mickiewicz university ul . umultowska 89 , 61 - 614 poznań , poland
“natura” ecology research laboratory marek wierzba , ul . kubusia puchatka 78 , żabokliki 08 - 110 siedlce , poland
siedlce university of natural science and humanities , faculty of natural sciences , department of zoology , ul . b . prusa 12 , 08 - 110 siedlce , poland
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leśniewska m , jastrzębski p , stańska m , hajdamowicz i ( 2015 ) centipede ( chilopoda ) richness and diversity in the bug river valley ( eastern poland ) . in : tuf ih , tajovský k ( eds ) proceedings of the 16th international congress of myriapodology , olomouc , czech republic . zookeys 510 : 125–139 . doi : 10 . 3897 / zookeys . 510 . 8763
habitats in valleys of european rivers are relatively poorly known in terms of species diversity , habitat selection and the dynamics of chilopoda communities . the very few studies in this field include , for instance , zerm ( 1997a , b , 1999 ) . in poland , such studies have not been conducted so far .
centipedes from river valleys have been studied mainly in the context of changes in the communities as a result of seasonal flooding ( zulka 1991 , pižl and tajovský 1998 , tajovský 1999 , tuf 2000 , 2003 , tufová and tuf 2005 , marx et al . 2009 ) , and in the context of life strategies enabling survival in periodically flooded habitats ( adis et al . 1996 , adis and junk 2002 ) . xerothermic environments ( often naturally occurring in the river valleys ) have rarely been the subject of research on chilopoda ( voigtländer 2003 ) .
river valleys , especially the natural ones , only slightly changed – unregulated , are extremely valuable areas with habitats found more and more rarely , which already start to disappear across the continent . studies on these habitats provides an opportunity not only to learn about the biodiversity but also to develop appropriate management and protection schemes . the bug river is one of the few rivers of such a size in europe , which still remain almost unregulated ( dombrowski et al . 2002 ) . its length in poland amounts to 587 km .
research in the bug river valley was conducted since march to november in 2007 and 2008 .
in the lower course of the river , where the valley is much wider ( it stretches up to several kilometers wide ) with an overgrown flood terrace at its bottom . in this section , the bug river slowly meanders and sometimes changes its course ( near localities : morzyczyn , płatkownica , in the protected area ‘bug landscape park’ ) .
location of the study area in poland . study area . morzyczyn , płatkownica – lower section of the bug valley : mogielnica , zabuże , gnojno – central section of the bug valley .
in the bug valley we can come across habitats that vary in terms of moisture content and structure – two important parameters from the point of view of chilopoda biology . on the side of the river – from flooded and very humid habitats through medium moist ones to grasslands . riparian forests within the floodplain are closest to the river , then there are meadows of lower flooded terrace – submerged during river floods . mesic meadows are found in higher terraces , while slopes of terraces feature xerothermic grasslands , and thermophilous thickets . sandy grasslands and rushes at oxbows are located in the mosaic of meadows , sometimes closer to the river bed , and sometimes closer to the edge of the valley ( głowacki et al . 2002 ) . in terms of the structure , according to the classification by voigtländer ( 2005 ) one can distinguish high ( riparian forests ) , middle ( thermophilous thickets , rushes at oxbows ) and low ( meadows , grasslands ) vegetation cover .
below , the data about the habitat ( along with an abbreviation used throughout the study ) , coordinates , phytocoenosis , location , substrate , at every site are given .
3 ) płatkownica , sandy grassland ; 52°69 ' 02
n , 21°84 ' 53
e ; diantho - armerietum ; the phytocenosis occupies the raised , flat flooded terrace at the foot of the southern slopes of the flood embankment , within the base of the bug valley cut off from the inundation area ; desiccated river alluvial soils .
4 ) gnojno , xerothermic grassland ; 52°27 ' 59
n , 23°13 ' 88
e ; impoverished form of the adonido - brachypodietum arrhenatheretosum ; slope of the upper terrace , southern exposure and inclination of approx . 30° ; proper parendzina ;
5 ) mogielnica , xerothermic grassland ; 52°40 ' 08
n , 22°57 ' 04
e ; adonido - brachypodietum ; slope of the upper terrace , eastern exposure and inclination of approx . 30° ; proper pararendzina ;
6 ) morzyczyn , xerothermic grassland ; 52°68 ' 43
n , 21°91 ' 50
e ; tunico - poetum compresse ; the analyzed patch of the phytocoenosis evolved in an anthropogenic habitat , with a slightly alkaline ph . it is the southern slope of the flood embankment with an inclination of about 30° ; anthropogenic pararendzinas ;
7 ) płatkownica , xerothermic grassland ; 52°69 ' 00
n , 21°84 ' 43
e ; grassland with carex praecox of the agropyretea intermedio - repentis class ; southern slope of the flood embankment with an inclination of about 35 degrees ; anthropogenic pararendzinas .
11 ) płatkownica , rushes at oxbows ; 52°69 ' 21
n , 21°84 ' 54
e ; glycerietum maximae ; located on the edge of the shallow old riverbed of the bug river ; alluvial soils .
12 ) gnojno , thermophilous thickets ; 52°28 ' 19
n , 23°13 ' 47
e ; rhamno - cornetum sanguinei ; on the edge of the bug valley . the phytocoenosis habitat is a moraine slope with eastern exposure and inclination of approx . 30° ; leached brown soils ;
13 ) mogielnica , thermophilous thickets ; 52°40 ' 02
n , 22°57 ' 08
e ; rhamno - cornetum sanguinei ; on the edge of the bug valley . the phytocoenosis habitat is a moraine slope with eastern exposure and inclination of approx . 30° ; brown soils .
17 ) płatkownica , mesic meadow ; 52°69 ' 06
n , 21°84 ' 53
e ; poo - festucetum ; raised upper flooded terraces of the bug valley ; river alluvial soils .
18 ) zabuże , riparian forest ; 52°33 ' 33
n , 23°00 ' 86
e ; salicetum albae - fragilis ; n slope of the low flooded terrace in the patch of the riparian willow ; alluvial processes accumulate coarse - grained material of sand and river sediments . during periods of low water the initial alluvial soil may undergo significant desiccation ;
21 ) płatkownica , riparian forest ; 52°69 ' 19
n , 21°84 ' 06
e ; salicetum albae - fragilis ; flooded terrace ; proper alluvial soils .
24 ) płatkownica , wet meadow ; 52°69 ' 16
n , 21°84 ' 42
e ; violo - cnidietum ; upper flooded terrace of the bug valley , submerged regularly during the floods of the river ; river alluvial soils .
pitfall traps were used as a sampling method . an aqueous solution of propylene glycol ( about 50 % ) , containing a few drops of a detergent per 1 liter to reduce the surface tension of the fluid , was used as a preservation liquid . in each of the sites ten pitfall traps were placed in one straight line , at a distance of two meters one from another . the beginning of the trapping period was in the middle of march and the end was in the middle of november . the traps were replaced every two weeks .
the material analyzed in the current work was obtained during studies related to different groups of arthropods – including primarily spiders , carabids , diplopods and butterflies – under the project titled “the diversity of habitats and the biological diversity of selected groups of arthropoda in the bug valley” ( oleszczuk et al . 2011 , jastrzębski 2012 , hajdamowicz et al . 2014 ) . since chilopoda were not taken into account during the planning of the study , the specificity of this group of animals was not accounted for in the applied methodology .
in this work , standard methods and analysis indicators were applied : the shannon - weaver diversity index ( h ) , pielou’s measure of species evenness ( j ) , morisita index values as modified by horn , the cluster analysis – distance / similarity measure bray and curtis ; cluster method : nearest neighbor .
444 specimens belonging to 12 centipede species of two orders – geophilomorpha ( four species ) and lithobiomorpha ( eight species ) were caught ( table 1 ) .
lithobius ( monotarsobius ) dudichi – present in five habitats , prevalent in sandy grasslands ( 35 % of specimens ) and in xerothermic grasslands ( 32 % ) .
these species constitute 88 % of all centipedes caught during the study , thus establishing themselves as the most typical ones of almost all habitats of the study area . it is only in thermophilous thickets that a species from outside this group of four dominates – lithobius ( lithobius ) mutabilis ( table 1 ) .
interspecies occurrence similarity ( figure 2 ) [ the analysis does not include lithobius ( lithobius ) tenebrosus , as regrettably the information about the site on the label describing the specimen was completely obscured ] .
similarity of species ( distance / similarity measure bray and curtis ; cluster method : nearest neighbor ) . species nomenclature in table 1 .
in terms of ecology and zoogeography european eurytopic species prevail ( table 1 ) .
two to ten chilopoda species were found in each habitat under investigation . the greatest species richness was found in thermophilous thickets ( ten species ) , sandy grasslands ( eight species ) , xerothermic grasslands ( eight species ) and mesic meadows ( six species ) . the fewest number of species was found in rushes of reed mannagrass ( glyceria maxima ) and in wet meadows ( two species at each location ) ( table 1 ) .
the greatest number of specimens was found in the following habitats : riparian forests , mesic meadows and xerothermic grasslands ( table 1 ) .
the shannon - weaver diversity index ( h ) and pielou’s measure of species evenness ( j ) reached their highest values in thermophilous thickets , xerothermic grasslands , mesic meadows , while the lowest values – in rushes at oxbows and riparian forests ( table 1 ) .
the cluster analysis conducted on the basis of the species composition and dominance structure demonstrated the greatest similarity between communities of warm and dry habitats on the one hand , and wet and flooded – on the other ( figure 3 , table 2 ) .
dendrogram of the similarities of centipede composition in different habitats ( distance / similarity measure – bray and curtis , cluster method –nearest neighbor ) for designations see table 1 .
similarity of dominance structures – morisita index values as modified by horn . for designations see table 1 .
we note differences in the species composition and the number of chilopoda between the lower ( 102 specimens from 6 species ) and the middle section of the river valley ( 324 specimens from 11 species ) . this result reflects the differences in the structure and the vegetation of the two regions of the bug valley – especially the presence of thermophilous habitats in the middle section of the valley .
although several studies from european river valley areas have been conducted , this habitat is still poorly explored in terms of chilopoda . meanwhile natural and seminatural habitats associated with valleys of big rivers are already disappearing throughout the continent ( głowacki et al . 2002 ) .
this study is based on the materials obtained in studies on groups of arthropods other than chilopoda . this should explain the applied methodology , which does not take into account the specificity of chilopoda . this undoubtedly affected the results . pitfall traps limited the set of species to active epigeic forms . the expansion of the method to include quantitative soil samples and direct qualitative capture would contribute to a more complete picture of this group of chilopoda .
as noted by zulka ( 1999 ) and voigtländer ( 2011 ) , the one - year life cycle of lamyctes emarginatus is a strategy that allows this species to populate the same habitats as lamyctes curtipes – a species of a similar body size and probably very similar ecological requirements . adult specimens of the annual species lamyctes emarginatus appear in the environment in the summer and fall , when there is enough food to suffice for perennial species , such as lamyctes curtipes .
the riparian forest habitat is dominated by lamyctes curtipes – a species that prefers wet and humid habitats with high vegetation cover . this species , was found alive after 34 days of inundation ( adis and junk 2002 ) . in central europe it inhabits primarily riparian forests , alder swamp forests , river and brook sides , wet meadows with flooding and more rarely humid deciduous forests ( voigtländer 2005 ) . in the investigated area a small number of the specimens of this species was also collected from dry and xerothermic habitats ( table 1 ) . it can be assumed that these specimens have only immigrated from surrounding habitats , and they do not form stable populations in these habitats .
most species in the bug river valley inhabit thermophilous thickets – an environment that is already similar to forest habitats . this is clearly manifested by the composition of chilopoda community , in which we can find typically forest - dwellers – such as lithobius mutabilis or strigamia acuminata .
our results confirm the need to protect xerothermic habitats , unique almost throughout entire central europe , which due to their dispersion and their small area covered are fairly easily subject to the process of destruction . these environments are refuges for rare species of animals – including centipedes , as our research shows . lithobius dudichi presumably belongs to the relict xerothermic species of steppe provenance and is presumably in danger of extinction .
the results from our research in the bug valley also show that centipedes are a valuable indicator group for the assessment of habitat conditions . the information about the species composition of chilopoda communities , the dominance structure and their dynamics may thus be useful in characterizing specific location types .
we wish to extend our gratitude to karin voigtländer and ivan tuf for the extremely valuable comments to the first version of the manuscript .
m . stańska and i . hajdamowicz were supported by grant of siedlce university of sciences and humanities 222 / 05 / s .
terrestrial invertebrates inhabiting lowland river floodplains of central amazonia and central europe : a review .
[ tausend - und hundertfüßer ] ) an trockenheit und überflutung . – mitt .
impact of inundations on terrestrial arthropod assemblages in southern moravian floodplain forests , the czech republic .
even through the snowey winter i was able to find these guys under leaf litter .
based on around 43 pairs of legs ( not many northeastern soil centipedes have so few ! ) and the fact that the fangs extend forward past the edge of the head . this is an amazing species that often lives in the intertidal zone , eating barnacles , amphipods , worms etc . it can even survive several hours in salt water !
they often live outside of the intertidal zone , they just prefer moist areas . it ' s just that they ' re one of the few centipedes that can live on the shore .
moved from id request . one pair of legs per body segment = centipede .
that ' s good basic info . thank you ! i ' m learning so much more than i thought i could about ecology since getting into macro photography ! everyone here at te guide are the best ! : )
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