Need to Know Insectivores

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Family Macroscelididae Elephant Shrews: 4 genera, 15 species Genus to know: Petrodromus Petrodromus Diagnosis: Eyes large, zygomatic arch complete, dental formula 1-3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/2 -3; perforate palate Petrodromus Elephantulus Family Erinaceidae Hedgehogs and Moon Rats: 10 genera, 24 species Genus to know: Erinaceus Diagnosis: Incisors look like canines, dental formula 2-3/3, 1/1, 3-4/2-4, 3/3, auditory bullae incomplete Family Talpidae Moles: 17 genera, 42 species Genera to know: Condylura, Neurotrichus, Scalopus, Scapanus, Parascalops Parascalops Condylura Scalopus Neurotrichus Diagnosis: Auditory bullae and zygomatic arches present, molar crowns with dilambdodont pattern (W-shaped lophs), dental formula 2-3/1-3, 1/0-1, 3-4/3-4, 3/3 Scalopus Parascalops Neurotrichus See your lab handout for key characters that will help distinguish these genera. Remember, you will also get skins: star-nose is obvious; look for hairy tail on Parascalops (also, incomplete auditory bullae); use upper teeth to distinguish Scalopus (irregular sizes) from Scapanus (more even- sized teeth between front incisor and molars); Neurotrichus looks like a Blarina, but with bigger feet, longer tail, and mole-like skull Family Soricidae Shrews: 26 genera, 376 species Genera to know: Blarina, Sorex, Cryptotis Cryptotis Blarina Sorex Diagnosis: Skull long and narrow, no zygomatic arches or postorbital processes, no auditory bullae Again, refer to your lab handout for drawings of these skulls and key characters. You can go back and use your lab handout for Mammals of Illinois, too! There you will see how to use number and characteristics of the upper unicuspids (teeth between the front incisor and the molariform teeth) to distinguish these 3 genera. Relative tail length is also good: Blarina is a large black shrew with a short tail, only about 1-2 cm (small for body size); Sorex have tails more than 1/2 the body length(sometimes hard to tell on the stuffed ones); Cryptotis is intermediate, with tail about 1/3 body length. .

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Small Mammal Populations in Riparian Zones of Different-Aged Coniferous Forests
SMALL MAMMAL POPULATIONS IN RIPARIAN ZONES OF DIFFERENT-AGED CONIFEROUS FORESTS R. G. ANTHONY, E. D. FORSMAN, G. A. GREEN, G. WITMER, AND S. K. NELSON ABSTRACT— Small mammals were trapped in riparian zones in young, mature, and old-growth coniferous forests during spring and summer of 1983. Peromyscus manicu- latus was the most abundant species and comprised 76% and 83% of the total captures during spring and summer, respectively. More species, but fewer individuals, were captured on the streamside transects in comparison to the riparian fringe transects, which were 15-20 m from the stream. Six species of Insectivora, including five species of Sorex, were captured in these riparian zones. No species was solely dependent on riparian zones in old-growth forests; however, additional studies are needed to define the specific habitat requirements of Sorex bendirii, Sorex palustris, Neurotrichus gibbsii, Phenacomys albipes, and Microtus richardsoni. Riparian zones recently have been recognized for their uniqueness and intrinsic value as wildlife habitat. To date, much attention has been focused on the most conspicuous riparian zones, such as those found in semiarid lands or along major rivers and streams (Johnson and Jones 1977, Thomas et al. 1979). Studies on wildlife populations in riparian zones dominated by coniferous forests are less numerous (Swanson et al. 1982), although riparian zones along low-order (second-, third-, and fourth-order streams at the head of watersheds) mountain streams are an integral part of the forest ecosystem (Swanson et al. 1982). Harvest of old-growth forests has become a major forestry-wildlife issue, because these forests provide unique wildlife habitat and they are rapidly being logged (Meslow et al.
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