Neomys anomalus Cabrera 1907
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Neomys
Neomys anomalus

description: 179. Mediterranean Water Shrew <i>Neomys anomalus</i> <b>French:</b> Crossope de Miller / <b>German:</b> Sumpfspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musgano de Cabrera <b>Other common names:</b> Iberian Water Shrew, Miller's Water Shrew, Southern Water Shrew <b>Taxonomy.</b> Neomys anomalus Cabrera, 1907, “ San Martin de la Vega (province of Madrid, on the Jarama River,” Spain. Six subspecies are recognized. <b>Subspecies and Distribution.</b> N.a.anomalusCabrera,1907—IberianPeninsula. N.a.jostiV.Martino&amp;E.Martino,1940—BalkanPeninsula. N.a.milleriMottaz,1907—Alps. N.a.mokrzeckiiE.Martino&amp;V.Martino,1917—Crimea. N.a.rhenanusLehmann,1976—SGermany. N. a. soricoides Ognev, 1921 — E Poland, S Belarus, and W Russia. Also known from W, SC &amp; E Europe, Turkey, and Iran, but subspecies involved not known. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 68-85 mm, tail 46-56 mm, hindfoot 14-8-18-3 mm; weight 9-5-13-5 g. No specific data are available for body weight, but pregnant females can weigh up to 20 g. The Mediterranean Water Shrew is large for the family Soricidae, but it is the smallest species of Neomys. Tail usually exceeds 65% of head-body length. Swimming borders on feet and keel on tail are formed of long stiff hairs but are not as developed as in the other species of Neomys. Pelage is dense and short. Back and sides are dark brown or black; belly is light gray, sometimes with pale yellow or brownish tint. Small light spot behind eye is distinct. Tail is bicolored;its upper part and underside are the same color as back and belly. Dental formula for species of Neomysis 13/2, C 1/0,P2/1,M 3/3 (x2) = 30. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 52 and FN = 98. Xchromosome is large subtelocentric, Y-chromosome is small subtelocentric. There are 44 metacentric and submetacentric autosomes and six acrocentric autosomes. <b>Habitat.</b> Often floodplain habitats and banks of small rivers and creeks flowing through deciduousforests and riverside marshes up to elevations of ¢.2100 m in mountainous areas. The Mediterranean Water Shrew is the most terrestrial species of Neomys and thus capable of living far from water bodies. It can be found in irrigated gardens. In northern regions of the distribution,it is often displaced from favorable near-water habitats by the Eurasian Water Shrew (NN. fodiens), which is better adapted to water activities. In southern regions, many water bodies dry up by mid-summer, and ability to live far from water provides competitive advantage to the Mediterranean Water Shrew. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Mediterranean Water Shrew eats terrestrial and water invertebrates, but the latter accounts for a smaller part of the diet. Earthworms, arachnids, adult dipterans, and adult beetles (most commonly carabids) are preferred among terrestrial invertebrates; isopods (Asselus), caddis worms, soldier fly larvae, and horsefly larvae are preferred water invertebrates. Water and terrestrial mollusks were often found in gastric contents. The Mediterranean Water Shrew does not dive to hunt water invertebrates in localities where it lives in sympatry with Eurasian Water Shrews; however, diving is used as a foraging method in Portugal, where other species of Neomys are absent. Prey is immobilized when bitten because saliva enzymes exert a paralytic effect. <b>Breeding.</b> Independent juvenile Mediterranean Water Shrews become detectable in late May, and the latest capture of a lactating female was on 30 October. A female produces up to three litters in a breeding season in Austria. Youth-of-the-year are extensively involved in reproduction. Productivity is generally higher than in most other species of shrews. Pregnant females have 5-13 embryos; highest numbers of embryos were twelve in Poland and Austria and 13 in Italy. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Mediterranean Water Shrew is semi-aquatic and active almost around the clock; activity at night is somewhat higher than activity during the day. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Mediterranean Water Shrews can live in groups with a high degree of tolerance toward each other. Although aggressive behavior is observed occasionally, it does not prevent several individuals from feeding together. Immigrants can easilyjoin in an established group. Social system is essentially open and non-hierarchical. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Distribution of the Mediterranean Water Shrew has many isolated areas, some of which are merely individual capture sites. Many such sites have been identified in the past 20-30 years. So many isolated areas of occurrence over a large distribution suggests that the Mediterranean Water Shrew is a relict species. It is rare or at low densities almost throughout its entire distribution, and it is on the Red List in Ukraine and regional Red Lists of Voronezh and Tambov regions (Russia). <b>Bibliography.</b> Baltiauskas &amp; Balgiauskiené (2012), Bal¢iauskas et al. (2016), Borodin (2013), Churchfield &amp; Rychlik (2006), Esmaeili et al. (2008), Kashtalian (2005), Krushinska &amp; Rychlik (1994), Krystufek &amp; Vohralik (2001), Lay (1967), Rychlik (1998), Sitnikova &amp; Mishta (2008), Spitzenberger (1990b), Tapisso et al. (2013), Zima et al. (2008).
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 456-457, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843