Cryptotis oreoryctes Woodman 2011
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Cryptotis
Cryptotis oreoryctes

description: 118. Highland Broad-clawed Shrew <i>Cryptotis oreoryctes</i> <b>French:</b> Musaraigne de Chelema / <b>German:</b> Alta-Verapaz-Kleinohrspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarana de unas anchas de tierras altas <b>Other common names:</b> Yalijux Shrew <b>Taxonomy.</b> Cryptotis oreoryctes Woodman, 2011, “ Chelemha Cloud Forest Reserve (c. 15°23’N, 90°04'W), ¢. 2090 m.a.m.s.l., Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.” Cryptotis oreoryctes is in the C. goodwini group, and genetic studies place it as sister to C. mam and a single specimen of C. goodwini. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Chelemha Cloud Forest Reserve (C Guatemala). <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 77-86 mm, tail 22-34 mm, hindfoot 11-12 mm; weight 10-15 g. The Highland Broad-clawed Shrew is large, with broad claws and forefeet. Dorsum is dark brownish black (individual hair silvery grading to dark brown tip), and venter is paler dark brown. Feet are relatively long and broad, with long wide claws. Tail is very short (36% of head—body length), dark brown, and covered with short hair. Eyes are diminutive, and ears are small and barely visible under fur. The Highland Broad-clawed Shrew is distinguished from other species in the C. goodwine group by its darker pelage, large body size, somewhat longer tail, moderately broad palate, lack of foramen in sinus cavity, distinct foramen on tympanic process of one or both postmastoids, relatively low coronoid process of mandible, vestigial entoconid of M, being sometimes present, broad metacarpal and phalanges of third ray of forefeet, long metacarpal of third ray, longer and broader foreclaws than in some species, and its long, broad humerus, with prominent teres tubercle and medial and lateral epicondyles, although not as massive as that of the Muscular Broad-clawed Shrew (C. lacertosus). Fourth unicuspid on the Highland Broad-clawed Shrew is partially visible in lateral view, as in other species of the C. goodwini group. Teeth are reddish, and there are four unicuspids. <b>Habitat.</b> High subtropical montane rain/cloud forests dominated by oak and pine at elevations above 2000 m. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> No information. <b>Breeding.</b> Three pregnant Highland Broad-clawed Shrews were captured in January with 2-3 embryos. <b>Activity patterns.</b> There is no specific information available for this species, but the Highland Broad-clawed Shrew is probably semi-fossorial. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Highland Broadclawed Shrew was only known from specimens from the 19" century until recently when it was discovered in the Chelemha Cloud Forest Reserve. It has a restricted distribution, and very little is known of its ecology and threats, although habitat destruction might be a major threat. <b>Bibliography.</b> Baird et al. (2018), Guevara, Lorenzo et al. (2014), Woodman (2011a, 2011b, 2015a), Woodman etal. (2012).
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 pages 436-437, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843