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

description: 129. Western Colombian Small-eared Shrew <i>Cryptotis squamipes</i> <b>French:</b> Musaraigne a écailles / <b>German:</b> Westliche Kolumbien-Kleinohrspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarafa de orejas pequenas de Colombia occidental <b>Other common names:</b> Cali Shrew, Cali Small-eared Shrew, Scaly-footed Shrew, Scaly-footed Small-eared Shrew <b>Taxonomy.</b> Blarina (Cryptotis) squamipes J. A. Allen, 1912, “ crest ofWestern Andes (alt. 10,340 ft. [= 3152 m]), 40 miles [= 64 km] west of Popayan, Cauca, Colombia.” Cryptotis squamipes is in the C. thomasi group based on morphology, but genetic data are needed to validate this view. It most likely represents a species complex of at least three species. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> W &amp; C Andes ranges of SW Colombia and NC Ecuador. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 86 mm, tail 42 mm, hindfoot 18 mm (type specimen). No specific data are available for body weight. The Western Colombian Small-eared Shrew is large, with apparently large hindfeet that are often taken as exceptionally scaly, although type specimen apparently had deformed claws that might have affected other aspects of how scaly or haired the feet were. Dorsum is blackish or dark brown and slightly lighter ventrally. Forefeet are somewhat enlarged and robust, with long pointed claws. Tail is relatively long (49% of head—body length), unicolored brownish, and covered with short hairs. Eyes are diminutive, and ears are small and hidden under fur. Anterior edge of zygomatic plate is located between posterior edge of M' and anterior edge of M*, and posterior edge is above parastyle-mesostyle of M2. Posterior edge of palate is narrow, and M’ is complex. Lower incisors are bicuspulates, with wide postero-ventral edge of crown. Postero-lingual cuspules are usually absent from anterior three unicuspids. Fourth unicuspid is reduced and usually not visible in lateral view of skull. Teeth are reddish, and there are four unicuspids. <b>Habitat.</b> Probably mostly lower montane wet cloud forests at elevations of 1500-3375 m. Western Colombian Small-eared Shrews have been recorded from primary and secondary forests and deforested areas of grass around pine plantations. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> No information. <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 Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Western Colombian Small-eared Shrew is poorly known and understudied, being known from only a few specimens. Nevertheless, it has a relatively wide distribution compared with other species of Neotropical shrews. Because it has been found in degraded habitats, it is probably relatively resilient, and it faces no known major threats. <b>Bibliography.</b> Quiroga-Carmona &amp; DoNascimiento (2016), Naylor &amp; Roach (2016d), Woodman &amp; Péfaur (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 page 440, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843