Sorex Linnaeus 1758
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Reeder, DeeAnn
Publisher: name: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Sorex

description: Sorex Linnaeus 1758
Sorex Linnaeus 1758, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., Vol. 1: 53.
Type Species: Sorex araneus Linnaeus 1758
Synonyms: Amphiosorex Hall 1959; Amphisorex Duvernoy 1835; Asorex Mezhzherin 1965; Atophyrax Merriam 1884; Corsira Gray 1838; Dolgovia Vorontsov and Kral 1986; Eurosorex Stroganov 1952; Fredgia Vorontsov and Kral 1986; Homalurus Schulze 1890; Hydrogale Pomel 1848; Kratochvilia Vorontsov and Kral 1986; Microsorex Coues 1877; Musaraneus Brisson 1762; Neosorex Baird 1858; Oxyrhin Kaup 1829; Soricidus Altobello 1927; Stroganovia Yudin 1989; Yudinia Vorontsov and Kral 1986.
Species and subspecies: 77 species with 92 subspecies in 3 subgenera:
Subgenus Sorex (Sorex) Linnaeus 1758
Subgenus Sorex (Ognevia) Heptner and Dolgov 1967
Subgenus Sorex (Otisorex) De Kay 1842
Species Sorex (Otisorex) alaskanus Merriam 1900
Species Sorex (Sorex) alpinus Schinz 1837
Species Sorex (Sorex) antinorii Bonaparte 1840
Species Sorex (Sorex) araneus Linnaeus 1758
Species Sorex (Sorex) arcticus Kerr 1792
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) arcticus subsp. arcticus Kerr 1792
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) arcticus subsp. laricorum Jackson 1925
Species Sorex arizonae Diersing and Hoffmeister 1977
Species Sorex (Sorex) arunchi Lapini and Testone 1998
Species Sorex (Sorex) asper Thomas 1914
Species Sorex (Sorex) averini Zubko 1937
Species Sorex (Otisorex) bairdi Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) bairdi subsp. bairdi Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) bairdi subsp. permiliensis Jackson 1918
Species Sorex (Sorex) bedfordiae Thomas 1911
Species Sorex (Otisorex) bendirii Merriam 1884
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) bendirii subsp. bendirii Merriam 1884
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) bendirii subsp. albiventer Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) bendirii subsp. palmeri Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Sorex) buchariensis Ognev 1922
Species Sorex (Sorex) caecutiens Laxmann 1785
Species Sorex (Otisorex) camtschatica Yudin 1972
Species Sorex (Sorex) cansulus Thomas 1912
Species Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus Kerr 1792
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. cinereus Kerr 1792
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. acadicus Gilpin 1867
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. fontinalis Hollister 1911
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. hollisteri Jackson 1900
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. lesueurii Duvernoy 1842
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. miscix Bangs 1899
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. ohionensis Bole and Moulthrop 1942
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) cinereus subsp. streatori Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Sorex) coronatus Millet 1828
Species Sorex (Sorex) cylindricauda Milne-Edwards 1871
Species Sorex (Sorex) daphaenodon Thomas 1907
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) daphaenodon subsp. daphaenodon Thomas 1907
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) daphaenodon subsp. sanguinidens G. Allen 1914
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) daphaenodon subsp. scaloni Ognev 1933
Species Sorex (Otisorex) dispar Batchelder 1911
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) dispar subsp. dispar Batchelder 1911
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) dispar subsp. blitchi Schwartz 1956
Species Sorex emarginatus Jackson 1925
Species Sorex (Sorex) excelsus G. M. Allen 1923
Species Sorex (Otisorex) fumeus G. M. Miller 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) fumeus subsp. fumeus G. M. Miller 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) fumeus subsp. umbrosus Jackson 1917
Species Sorex (Otisorex) gaspensis Anthony and Goodwin 1924
Species Sorex (Sorex) gracillimus Thomas 1907
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) gracillimus subsp. gracillimus Thomas 1907
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) gracillimus subsp. granti Okhotina 1993
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) gracillimus subsp. hyojironis Kuroda 1939
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) gracillimus subsp. minor Okhotina 1993
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) gracillimus subsp. natalae Okhotina 1993
Species Sorex (Sorex) granarius Miller 1910
Species Sorex (Otisorex) haydeni Baird 1857
Species Sorex (Sorex) hosonoi Imaizumi 1954
Species Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi Baird 1857
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi subsp. hoyi Baird 1857
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi subsp. alnorum Preble 1902
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi subsp. eximius Osgood 1901
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi subsp. montanus Brown 1966
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi subsp. thompsoni Baird 1858
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) hoyi subsp. winnemana Preble 1910
Species Sorex (Sorex) isodon Turov 1924
Species Sorex (Otisorex) jacksoni Hall and Gilmore 1932
Species Sorex (Sorex) kozlovi Stroganov 1952
Species Sorex (Otisorex) leucogaster Kuroda 1933
Species Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris Bachman 1837
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris subsp. longirostris Bachman 1837
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris subsp. eonis Davis 1957
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) longirostris subsp. fisheri Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Otisorex) lyelli Merriam 1902
Species Sorex (Otisorex) macrodon Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Sorex) maritimensis Smith 1939
Species Sorex merriami Dobson 1890
Species Sorex (Otisorex) milleri Jackson 1947
Species Sorex minutissimus Zimmermann 1780
Species Sorex (Sorex) minutus Linnaeus 1766
Species Sorex (Ognevia) mirabilis Ognev 1937
Species Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus Merriam 1890
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. monticolus Merriam 1890
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. alascensis Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. calvertensis Cowan 1941
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. elassodon Osgood 1901
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. insularis Cowan 1941
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. isolatus Jackson 1922
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. longicaudus Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. malitiosus Jackson 1919
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. obscurus Merriam 1891
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. parvidens Jackson 1921
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. prevostensis Osgood 1901
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. setosus Elliot 1899
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. shumaginensis Merriam 1900
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) monticolus subsp. soperi Anderson and Rand 1945
Species Sorex (Otisorex) nanus Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Otisorex) neomexicanus Bailey 1913
Species Sorex (Otisorex) oreopolus Merriam 1892
Species Sorex (Otisorex) orizabae Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. ornatus Merriam 1895
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. juncensis Nelson and Goldman 1909
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. lagunae Nelson and Goldman 1909
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. relictus Grinnell 1932
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. salarius von Bloeker 1939
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. salicornicus von Bloeker 1932
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. sinuosus Grinnell 1913
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) ornatus subsp. willetti von Bloeker 1942
Species Sorex (Otisorex) pacificus Coues 1877
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) pacificus subsp. pacificus Coues 1877
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) pacificus subsp. cascadensis Carraway 1990
Species Sorex (Otisorex) palustris Richardson 1828
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. palustris Richardson 1828
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. albibarbis Cope 1862
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. brooksi Anderson 1934
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. gloveralleni Jackson 1926
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. hydrobadistes Jackson 1926
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. labradorensis Burt 1938
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. navigator Baird 1858
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. punctulatus Hooper 1942
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) palustris subsp. turneri Johnson 1951
Species Sorex planiceps Miller 1911
Species Sorex (Otisorex) portenkoi Stroganov 1956
Species Sorex (Otisorex) preblei Jackson 1922
Species Sorex (Otisorex) pribilofensis Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Sorex) raddei Satunin 1895
Species Sorex (Sorex) roboratus Hollister 1913
Species Sorex (Sorex) samniticus Altobello 1926
Species Sorex (Sorex) satunini Ognev 1922
Species Sorex saussurei Merriam 1892
Subspecies Sorex saussurei subsp. saussurei Merriam 1892
Subspecies Sorex saussurei subsp. godmani Merriam 1897
Species Sorex sclateri Merriam 1897
Species Sorex (Sorex) shinto Thomas 1905
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) shinto subsp. shinto Thomas 1905
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) shinto subsp. sadonis Yoshiyuki and Imaizumi 1986
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) shinto subsp. shikokensis Abe 1967
Species Sorex (Sorex) sinalis Thomas 1912
Species Sorex (Otisorex) sonomae Jackson 1921
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) sonomae subsp. sonomae Jackson 1921
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) sonomae subsp. tenelliodus Carraway 1990
Species Sorex stizodon Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Otisorex) tenellus Merriam 1895
Species Sorex thibetanus Kastschenko 1905
Species Sorex trowbridgii Baird 1857
Subspecies Sorex trowbridgii subsp. trowbridgii Baird 1857
Subspecies Sorex trowbridgii subsp. destructioni Scheffer and Dalquest 1942
Subspecies Sorex trowbridgii subsp. humboldtensis Jackson 1922
Subspecies Sorex trowbridgii subsp. mariposae Grinnell 1913
Subspecies Sorex trowbridgii subsp. montereyensis Merriam 1895
Species Sorex (Sorex) tundrensis Merriam 1900
Species Sorex (Otisorex) ugyunak Anderson and Rand 1945
Species Sorex (Sorex) unguiculatus Dobson 1890
Species Sorex (Otisorex) vagrans Baird 1857
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) vagrans subsp. vagrans Baird 1857
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) vagrans subsp. halicoetes Grinnell 1913
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) vagrans subsp. paludivagus von Bloeker 1939
Species Sorex ventralis Merriam 1895
Species Sorex veraecrucis Jackson 1925
Subspecies Sorex veraecrucis subsp. veraecrucis Jackson 1925
Subspecies Sorex veraecrucis subsp. cristobalensis Jackson 1925
Subspecies Sorex veraecrucis subsp. oaxacae Jackson 1925
Species Sorex (Otisorex) veraepacis Alston 1877
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) veraepacis subsp. veraepacis Alston 1877
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) veraepacis subsp. chiapensis Jackson 1925
Subspecies Sorex (Otisorex) veraepacis subsp. mutabilis Merriam 1898
Species Sorex (Sorex) volnuchini Ognev 1922
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) volnuchini subsp. volnuchini Ognev 1922
Subspecies Sorex (Sorex) volnuchini subsp. dahli Zagorodnyuk 1996
Species Sorex (Sorex) yukonicus Dokuchaev 1997
Discussion: Type genus of Soricidae. The systematic relationships of a large number of Holarctic species were studied by George (1988); her proposals for subgeneric allocation are mainly followed here. Keys and/or reviews are available for the species of various geographical areas: Canada (van Zyll de Jong, 1983 a); North and Middle America (Carraway, 1990, 1995; Junge and Hoffmann, 1981); China (Hoffmann, 1987); Siberia (Yudin, 1989); and Europe (Niethammer and Krapp, 1990). Microsorex was formerly regarded as a full genus, then reduced to a subgenus of Sorex by Diersing (1980 b), and is now regarded as a synonym of subgenus Otisorex (see George, 1988). Besides subgenera a number of species groups have been distinguished such as the araneus arcticus group (Hausser et al., 1985; Meylan and Hausser, 1973), the cinereus group (van Zyll de Jong, 1991 b), and the vagrans group (Carraway, 1990), the boundaries and contents of which are still highly controversial (see Demboski and Cook, 2003). Old World species of Sorex were reviewed by Dannelid (1991 b) who provided a phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships. Fumagalli et al. (1996, 1999), Ohdachi et al. (1997 a, 2001), and Demboski and Cook (2001, 2003), among others, provided important genetic studies of the phylogeny and geographical variation of certain species complexes. Zima et al. (1998) reviewed data on chromosomal variation in Sorex and suggested species groups that are not always congruent with clusters based on genetical or morphological data.
Not all species can be allocated to subgenera or species groups. There exist various proposals for species groups based on chromosomes, genetics, or morphology, and not all are congruent. Many species have never been studied properly, and the genus offers a wide and promising field for further research. Not all taxon names can be allocated to species. The enigmatic Sorex fimbripes Bachman, 1837 cannot be identified in the absence of the holotype specimen or new material from the type locality (Handley and Varn, 1994). Also the identities of the taxa Sorex pusillus Gmelin, 1774; Sorex dorichurus Kishida, 1937; Sorex longiusculus Kishida, 1928 (? nomen nudum); Sorex longicaudatus Kishida, 1930 (nomen nudum, not Okhotina, 1993); and Sorex longicaudatus Yoshikura, 1956 (not Okhotina, 1993) remain unsolved.
description: Published as part of Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Soricomorpha, pp. 220-311 in Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore :The Johns Hopkins University Press on page 282, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7316519