Crocidura dhofarensis Hutterer &amp; Harrison 1988
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Crocidura
Crocidura dhofarensis

description: 304. Dhofar White-toothed Shrew <i>Crocidura dhofarensis</i> <b>French:</b> Crocidure du Dhofar / <b>German:</b> DhofarWeiRzahnspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarana de Dhofar <b>Other common names:</b> Dhofar Shrew <b>Taxonomy.</b> Crocidura somalica dhofarensis Hutterer &amp; D. L. Harrison, 1988, Khadrafi, 620 m, 16° 42’ N, 53° 09’ E, Dhofar, Oman. First specimen of C. dhofarensis collected in 1977 wasclassified by D. L.. Harrison in 1980 as a representative of C. somalica. R. Hutterer and Harrison in 1988 separated it from the African individuals of somalica as an Arabian subspecies based on morphological criteria and color differences. Later, Hutterer and others in 1991 raised dhofarensus to species rank. Similarities in skull marks and dentition with somalica, roosevelt, and greenwoodae indicate that dhofarensis is related to African species and represents a relict species from an ancient immigration from tropical Africa. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Coastal plateaus of Dhofar (Oman) and Al Mahrah region (Yemen). <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 68-72 mm, tail 47-51 mm, ear 9-2-10-8 mm, hindfoot 10-6—11-6 mm; weight 5-2-6-9 g. Condyloincisive lengths are 18-6-20-2 mm. Dorsal pelage of the Dhofar White-toothed Shrew is olive-brown. Hair is dense and 3-5 mm long. Underparts are slightly more grayish brown, and chin has whitish mark below. There is no sharp dividing line between dorsum and venter. Hairs at the gland area of right flank are lighter colored. Tail is unicolored dark brown, with setaceous hair over ¢.75% ofits length. Upper surfaces of front legs and hindlegs are buffy brown, and feet, hands, and ears are dark. Skull is long, slender, and dorso-ventrally flattened. The Dhofar White-toothed Shrew has the most elongated and narrow rostrum of all Arabian species of Crocidura. First upper unicuspid is large, and posterior part of M? is slightly reduced. <b>Habitat.</b> Humid slopes between coast and rocky desert with mix of primary monsoon forests and open grassland at elevations of 410-735 m. The Dhofar White-toothed Shrew was found in long grass and areas with expansive short grass, single trees, and shrubs. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Dhofar White-toothed Shrew probably eats invertebrates and seeds, but additional studies are needed. <b>Breeding.</b> No information. <b>Activity patterns.</b> No information. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Overall population size and trends of the Dhofar White-toothed Shrew are unknown. Disturbance by urban expansion and increasingly intensive livestock grazing might be threats. It is considered data deficient in a preliminary red list of terrestrial mammals of Oman. <b>Bibliography.</b> Benda &amp; Nasher (2006), Fisher (1999), Gerrie &amp; Kennerley (2016j), Harrison (1980), Harrison &amp; Bates (1991), Hutterer &amp; Harrison (1988), Hutterer, Sidiyene &amp; Tranier (1991), Serhal &amp; Alkhuzai (2015).
description: Published as part of <i>Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, pp. 332-551 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 503, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843