ISSN 1995-4255, Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 2011, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 428–432. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2011. Original Russian Text © Yu.A. Bazhenov, 2011, published in Sibirskii Ekologicheskii Zhurnal, 2011, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 571–576. Shrew Communities in Eastern Transbaikalia Yu. A. Bazhenov Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Frunze 11, Novosibirsk, 630091 Russia Daurskii State Nature Biospheric Reserve, ul. Komsomol’skaya 76, selo Nizhnii Tsasuchei, Zabaikal’skii krai, 674480 Russia E-mail: [email protected] Abstract—In the paper the author reports literature data and his own on the shrew fauna and communities of the steppe and forest zones of Eastern Transbaikalia. DOI: 10.1134/S1995425511040138 Keywords: fauna, communities, shrews, Eastern Transbaikalia In Eastern Transbaikalia shrews are a seldom-stud- along the Ikat Range to the Stanovoi Mountains. This is ied group of small mammals. There is only one work by an area at the contact of the steppe, forest-steppe, and Yudin [1] summarizing the fauna and distribution of taiga zones. It has a complex topography and highly shrews in the region; data in other literature sources are mosaic landscapes, resulting in considerable variations scarce. A brief outline of species comprising Buryatian in species composition and abundance in the shrew communities is given in the overview of small distribution of the insectivores. Buryatian mammals by Borisova et al. [2]. Works on In Eastern Transbaikalia, the following members of the abundance of shrews in the main Eastern-Trans- the genus Sorex were recorded: Sorex daphaenodon baikalian landscapes are few, although the region and (Thomas, 1900), S. tundrensis (Merriam, 1900), S. ro- adjacent areas have been surveyed. boratus (Holister, 1913), S. isodon (Turov, 1924), S. caecutiens (Laxmann, 1788), and S. minutissimuss MATERIALS AND METHODS (Zimmermann, 1780). The only member of the genus Crocidura occurring in Transbaikalia—Crocidura This paper is based on works and collections of In- suaveolens (Pallas, 1811)—is known from two loca- stitute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals (ISEA), tions at the Mongolian border: the lower course of the Chita Museum of Local Lore (CMLL), Irkutsk State Kyra River (the Kyra raion) and the Ikkiri valley in the University (ISU), Chita Plague Control Station (Zabaikal’sk raion). For S. minutus the Yablonoi Moun- (CPCS), and those collected by myself. I conducted tains appear to be the eastern limit of its distribution, as trapping in the Chita raion of Transbaikalia (the forest the species has not been found in Eastern Transbaikalia. zone) in 2006, 2008, and 2009, and in the Onon and The westernmost location where S. minutus has been Borzya raions (the steppe zone) in 2008 and 2009. The found is Lake Irgen’ lying in the upper reaches of the animals were trapped with 50-m shallow ditches with 5 Khilok River [1]. For Neomys fodiens (Pennant, 1771) cones per ditch. The trapping session was carried out Eastern Transbaikalia is a disjunct distribution; today April through October, with most of the work done July the species is only known from the basin of the Chikoi through September. The trapping effort totaled 4020 River in the Khentii-Chikoi Plateau, the western cone-days in the steppe zone and about 700 in the forest boundary of Eastern Transbaikalia. zone. A total of 170 individuals of 5 species were trapped, 88 individuals in the former and 82 in the latter In Eastern Transbaikalia, shrews are represented by trapping location, respectively. Only sporadic individu- nine species. Below is an outline where and which spe- als were trapped with snap traps. cies were trapped. Sorex dapaenodon is a common species in Eastern Transbaikalia. Ochirov [1] trapped it on the Chersky RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Range within the Tungokochen raion and on the Olek- The distribution of shrews. Eastern Transbaikalia minskii Stanovik Range in the Tungir–Olekma raion includes the basins of the Amur River and the part of the (the specimens are kept at the ISEA museum). Neki- Lena River basin that lies within Transbaikalia. The pelov [6] considered the species a dominant in the for- boundary between Western and Eastern Transbaikalia est-steppe of Eastern Transbiakalia where he also runs, south to north, from the Mongolian border along trapped it on the bank of the Urulyungui River, a left the Chitanga Range and the Yablonovoi Mountains up tributary of the Argun’ River. The specimen in the ISU to the Ivan-Arakhlei lakes, across the Vitim Plateau museum was trapped at Lake Barun-Torei, the neigh- 428 SHREW COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN TRANSBAIKALIA 429 borhood of the Nerchinskii Zavod Village, the Mikhai- Shershnev valley on the Yablonoi Mountains) and in lovskoe Village (the Nerchinskii Zavod raion), the the upper reaches of the Chita River (at the mouth of the Aleksandrovskii Zavod Village, the Aga station (the Sangikan River) (the accession kept at the ISU mu- Aginsk raion), Kyra Village, and Chita city (Shershnev seum). The species has also been reported from near valley). Stroganov [7] mentioned that Radde trapped Chita city (on the right bank of the Ingoda River). It is S. dapaenodon in the valley of the Borzya River and common in the Sokhondo Nature Reserve [9]. that Vagner trapped it in the Gornyi Zerentui Village. Sorex caecutiens. Yudin [1 and references therein] Shvetsov [8] collected this species in the estuary of the reported that Dorogostaiskii found the species in the Ul’dza River (on the coast of Lake Borun-Torei). Pav- Yablonoi Mountains and cited Fetisov who reported lov (CMLL) [1] trapped the species in the upper reaches Vegner’s trapping it in the Gornyi Zerentui urban vil- of the Chita River (by the mouth of the Sangikan lage. The species is known from the valley of the Turov River). I, too, trapped it near Chita city (on the right River (the Shelopugino raion, the accession kept at the bank of the Ingoda River), as well as in the floodplain of ISU museum). The ISEA museum has one specimen the Onon River (near the Nizhnii Tsasuchei Village), from the Tungokochen Village and another from the and in the Tsasuchei pine forest. According to Zubkova Amazar River (the Mogocha raion). In the upper [9], the species is common, yet inabundant, in the reaches of the Chita River, the species was collected by Sokhondo Nature Reserve. Pavlov ([1], the accession kept at the ISU museum) and Sorex tundrensis is dominant in the steppe zone. by me near Chita city (on the right bank of the Ingoda Nekipelov [6] mentioned it for area around lakes River, as well as along the Nikishikha River). This is a Zun-Oraltui and Barun-Torei, the Argun’River, and the dominant shrew species in the Sokhondo Nature Re- Chuprovo Village (the Kalga raion). The ISU museum serve [9]. has specimens from the neighborhood of the Aleksan- Sorex minutus. According to Yudin [1], the eastern- drovskii Zavod Village, Mikhailovskoe Village (the most finding was on the western spurs of the Yablonoi Nerchinskii Zavod raion), Lake Barun-Torei, and the Mountains (Lake Irgen’). It has not been reported from Aga station (the Aginsk raion). The CPCS museum has the the Sokhondo Nature Reserve. The species does not the specimens from the Kailastui Village (the appear to occur to the east of the Yablonoi Mountains. floodplain of the Argun River), the Ust’-Ozernaya Vil- Sorex minutissimus. Peshkov [1] trapped the species lage (the Borzya raion), and the Bugutsei valley (in the along the Argun’ River (in the Karakundui valley near Borzya raion). I trapped it at lakes Barun-Torei and the Abagaitui Village; the accession kept in the ISEA Zun-Torei (in the interlacustrine area and in the delta of museum). Mineev [10] and Shvetsov [8] trapped the the Ul’dza River), in the floodplain of the Onon River species near lakes Barun-Torei and Zun-Torei (speci- (near the Nizhnii Tsasuchei Village), in the Tsasuchei mens stored at the ISEA museum). Aspecimen from the pine forest, in the floodplain of the Imalka River, on the Borzya raion is kept in the collection of CPCS. Ochirov Adon-Chelon Range, and at Lake Bal’zinskoe (in the [11 and 12] trapped sporadic individuals on the Dul’durga raion). The ISEA museum has specimens south-facing slope of the Chersky Range in the mouth collected from the neighborhood of the Borzya River, of the Kuchertai River (the Tungokochen raion) and in Solov’evsk town, Chita city, and the floodplain of the the valleys of the Nercha, Karenga, Tungir, and Olekma Argun’ River (the Karakundui valley near the Abagatui rivers [13]. I trapped the species near the Nizhnii Tsasu- Village). The species is rare in the Sokhondo Nature chei Village and near Chita city (along the Molokovka Reserve [9]. and Nikishikha rivers). The species is inabundant in the Sorex roboratus was trapped by Ochirov [1] in the Sokhondo Nature Reserve [9]. Yablonoi Mountains near the Chita ñity [1]. In the Neomys fodiens is known today in Eastern Trans- Mountains, Pavlov trapped it in the Shershnev valley baikalia only from the neighborhood of the Sokhondo (the accession kept at the ISU museum)and Velinskii Nature Reserve (Bukukun and Kyra rivers). [1], in the upper reaches of the Chita River (the acces- Crocidura suaveolens. Only two findings are known sion kept at the ISU museum). The accession in the in Eastern Transbaikalia: from the lower reaches of the ISU’s collection is also from the Aleksandrovskii Kyra River near the Mongolian border and from the Zavod raion (the neighborhood of the Aleksandrovskii Ikkiri valley in Zabaikal’sk raion [14]. Zavod Village, the Akatui Village, and the Bayolga val- As can be seen, the shrew fauna of Eastern Trans- ley).