Sorex arizonae Diersing &amp; Hoffmeister 1977
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Sorex
Sorex arizonae

description: 34. Arizona Shrew <i>Sorex arizonae</i> <b>French:</b> Musaraigne d/Arizona / <b>German:</b> Arizona-Spitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarana de Arizona <b>Taxonomy.</b> Sorex arizonae Diersing &amp; Hoffmeister, 1977, “ extreme upper end of Miller Canyon, 10 mi [= 16 km] S, 4-75 mi [= 7-64 km] E Fort Huachuca, Cochise Co., Arizona.” Restricted by L. N. Carraway in 2007 to “latitude 31-43°N, longitude 110-24°W.” Sorex arizonae 1s included in the merriami group in an unnamed subgenus of Sorex. It is externally very similar to S. merriami, but genetic data have not yet been analyzed to determine its species status. Nevertheless,it is cranially distinguished from S. merriami and is retained as a distinct species. Among and within populations of S. arizonae, there is considerable genetic diversity. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Known from only five localities in SE Arizona and SW New Mexico (SW USA), and W Chihuahua (NW Mexico). <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 50-73 mm, tail 37-46 mm, ear 7 mm, hindfoot 11-13 mm; weight 2-5 g. The Arizona Shrew is smallto medium-sized, externally similar to Merriam’s Shrew (S. merriami) although it is slightly larger. Dorsum is pale graybrown, and venteris whitish. Feet are whitish; ears are small and rounded but relatively conspicuous. Tail is ¢.60% of head-body length and indistinctly bicolored, pale brown above and whitish below. There are five unicuspids, third is greater than or equal to the size of fourth, and there is dark red pigmentation on tips of some teeth. Incisors have small interdenticular space in contrast to Merriam’s Shrew that has no space. Upper incisors also have small pigmented tine on medial edge. <b>Habitat.</b> Dense vegetation around water sources on forested slopes dominated by oak, pines, maples, sycamores, walnuts, or a combination of these at elevations of 1500-2600 m. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> No information. <b>Breeding.</b> Arizona Shrews seem to reproduce from late July until October, and pregnant females with well-developed embryos were captured in October. <b>Activity patterns.</b> No information. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Arizona Shrew seems relatively abundant where it occurs, but it has a limited distribution and might be threatened by localized habitat disturbances. It might have a wider distribution than is currently known, but additional studies are needed. <b>Bibliography.</b> Carraway (2007, 2014g), Diersing &amp; Hoffmeister (1977), Maldonado et al. (2015), Ortega et al. (2005), Simons &amp; Hoffmeister (2003), Simons &amp; Van Pelt (1999), Simons et al. (1990), Woodman, Matson &amp; Castro-Arellano (2016).
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 406, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843