Small-eared shrew
Encyclopedia
The genus Cryptotis is a group of relatively small shrews with short ears, which are usually not visible, and short tails, commonly called small-eared shrews. They have 30 teeth and are members of the red-toothed shrew
subfamily. Since 1992, Neal Woodman (in cooperation with Robert Timm) at the United States National Museum has been in the process of revising the genus. To date, this has resulted in an increase in the number of species from 12 to 30.
Members of the genus are found mainly in Central America
; the North American Least Shrew, C. parva, is the only species found north of Mexico
. The genus occurs as far south as northern Peru
and as far east as western Venezuela
in South America
. It is the only soricomorph genus found south of Guatemala
. The limited diversity and restricted northern distribution of shrews in South America implies that the group invaded the continent relatively recently from Central America
, where they are more diverse, presumably as part of the Great American Interchange
. However, shrews have no fossil record in South America that would allow their arrival to be dated.
Red-toothed shrew
The red-toothed shrews of the subfamily Soricinae are one of three living subfamilies of shrews, along with Crocidurinae and Myosoricinae . In addition, the family contains the extinct subfamilies Limnoecinae, Crocidosoricinae, Allosoricinae and Heterosoricinae...
subfamily. Since 1992, Neal Woodman (in cooperation with Robert Timm) at the United States National Museum has been in the process of revising the genus. To date, this has resulted in an increase in the number of species from 12 to 30.
Members of the genus are found mainly in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
; the North American Least Shrew, C. parva, is the only species found north of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The genus occurs as far south as northern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and as far east as western Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is the only soricomorph genus found south of Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. The limited diversity and restricted northern distribution of shrews in South America implies that the group invaded the continent relatively recently from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, where they are more diverse, presumably as part of the Great American Interchange
Great American Interchange
The Great American Interchange was an important paleozoogeographic event in which land and freshwater fauna migrated from North America via Central America to South America and vice versa, as the volcanic Isthmus of Panama rose up from the sea floor and bridged the formerly separated continents...
. However, shrews have no fossil record in South America that would allow their arrival to be dated.
List of species
- Genus Cryptotis
- C. mexicana group
- Mexican Small-eared ShrewMexican Small-eared ShrewThe Mexican Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Mexico....
(Cryptotis mexicana) - Nelson's Small-eared ShrewNelson's Small-eared ShrewNelson's Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to eastern Mexico.The species was discovered by Edward William Nelson and Edward Alphonso Goldman in 1894, who collected a number of specimens from the slopes of the San Martín volcano in Veracruz, Mexico...
(Cryptotis nelsoni) - Grizzled Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis obscura)
- Phillips' Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis phillipsii)
- goldmani set
- Central Mexican Broad-clawed ShrewCentral Mexican Broad-clawed ShrewThe Central Mexican Broad-clawed Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in the highlands above 2000 m in the Mexican states of Colima, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michoacán, Mexico, and Puebla, Morelos, and in the Mexican Federal DistrictType Locality: Mexico, Volcán Popocatépetl,...
(Cryptotis alticola) - Goldman's Broad-clawed ShrewGoldman's Broad-clawed ShrewGoldman's Broad-clawed Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Guatemala and Mexico.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis goldmani) - Goodwin's Broad-clawed ShrewGoodwin's Broad-clawed ShrewGoodwin's Broad-clawed Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.Type locality "Calel, altitude 10200 feet, Guatemala."-References:...
(Cryptotis goodwini) - Guatemalan Broad-clawed ShrewGuatemalan broad-clawed shrewThe Guatemalan broad-clawed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known from Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas, where it has been found in montane forests of oak, pine and fir, as well as secondary forest, mostly at elevations above 2000 m. It feeds on insects....
(Cryptotis griseoventris) - Cryptotis lacertosus
- Cryptotis mam
- Oaxacan Broad-clawed Shrew (Cryptotis peregrina)
- Central Mexican Broad-clawed Shrew
- Mexican Small-eared Shrew
- C. mexicana group
-
- C. nigrescens group
- Eastern Cordillera Small-footed ShrewEastern Cordillera small-footed shrewThe Eastern Cordillera small-footed shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the western slopes of the central Cordillera Oriental at elevations from 1300 to 2715 m. It resembles C. colombiana.-References:*...
(Cryptotis brachyonyx) - Colombian Small-eared ShrewColombian small-eared shrewThe Colombian small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the Cordillera Central in Antioquia Department at elevations from 1750 to 2800 m. It is found in montane forest and cultivated areas. It resembles C....
(Cryptotis colombiana) - Honduran Small-eared ShrewHonduran Small-eared ShrewThe Honduran Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Honduras, possibly El Salvador, possibly Guatemala, and possibly Nicaragua.-Source:...
(Cryptotis hondurensis) - Yucatan Small-eared ShrewYucatan small-eared shrewThe Yucatan small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is mainly known from lowlands of Guatemala, Belize and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, where it has been found in dry scrubland and tropical dry forest at elevations below 100 m. It is threatened by deforestation....
(Cryptotis mayensis) - Darién Small-eared ShrewDarién small-eared shrewThe Darién small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known only from montane regions along the border between Colombia and Darién Province, Panama, where it has been found in rainforest at elevations from 1400 to 1500 m. It has terrestrial habits....
(Cryptotis mera) - Merriam's Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis merriami)
- Blackish Small-eared ShrewBlackish Small-eared ShrewThe Blackish Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in parts of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. An example specific habitat is the Petenes mangroves of the Yucatan.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . ...
(Cryptotis nigrescens)
- Eastern Cordillera Small-footed Shrew
- C. thomasi group
- Ecuadorean Small-eared Shrew (Cryptotis equatoris)
- Medellín Small-eared ShrewMedellín small-eared shrewThe Medellín small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the northern parts of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central at elevations from 2500 to 2800 m. The species is found in montane forest and cultivated areas,...
(Cryptotis medellinia) - Merida Small-eared ShrewMerida Small-eared ShrewThe Merida Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to Venezuela.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis meridensis) - Wandering Small-eared ShrewWandering Small-eared ShrewThe Wandering Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis montivaga) - Peruvian Small-eared ShrewPeruvian small-eared shrewThe Peruvian small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known only from northern Peru, where it has been found in shrubby "elfin" cloud forest in the Andes at elevations from 2050 to 3150 m. The species may also be present in Ecuador. It has the southernmost range of...
(Cryptotis peruviensis) - Scaly-footed Small-eared ShrewScaly-footed Small-eared ShrewThe Scaly-footed Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis squamipes) - Tamá Small-eared ShrewTamá small-eared shrewThe Tamá small-eared shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known from the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and the Páramo de Tamá of western Venezuela, where it has been found primarily in cloud forest at elevations between 2380 and 3330 m. Its range includes Venezuela's El...
(Cryptotis tamensis) - Thomas' Small-eared ShrewThomas' Small-eared ShrewThomas' Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis thomasi)
- C. parva group
- Central American Least ShrewCentral American Least ShrewThe Central American Least Shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is found in the highlands and mid-elevations from the western part of the northern coast of Honduras to central Costa Rica. It is found in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. It was considered to be a...
(Cryptotis orophila) - North American Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva)
- Tropical Small-eared ShrewTropical Small-eared ShrewThe Tropical Small-eared Shrew is a very small mammal of the Soricidae family. The species is found in the eastern highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, and parts of Belize and Guatemala. Until recently it was considered a subspecies of the North American Least Shrew but it has gained species status...
(Cryptotis tropicalis)
- Central American Least Shrew
- ungrouped/relict
- Enders's Small-eared ShrewEnders's Small-eared ShrewEnders's Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to Panama.-Source:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis endersi) - Talamancan Small-eared ShrewTalamancan Small-eared ShrewThe Talamancan Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.-Source:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis gracilis) - Big Mexican Small-eared ShrewBig Mexican Small-eared ShrewThe Big Mexican Small-eared Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is endemic to Mexico.-References:* George, S. 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....
(Cryptotis magna)
- Enders's Small-eared Shrew
- C. nigrescens group