Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist Volume 3 Shrews of Mexico Article 1 6-22-2007 Shrews (Eulypotyphla: Soricidae) of Mexico Leslie N. Carraway Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mwnan Recommended Citation Carraway, Leslie N. (2007) "Shrews (Eulypotyphla: Soricidae) of Mexico," Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 3 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mwnan/vol3/iss1/1 This Monograph is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Monographs of the Western North American Naturalist 3, © 2007, pp. 1–91 SHREWS (EULYPOTYPHLA: SORICIDAE) OF MEXICO Leslie N. Carraway1 ABSTRACT.—Examination of published records, and morphometric and morphologic analyses of 3398 museum speci- mens, revealed that 4 genera including 30 monotypic and 5 polytypic species of shrews (Soricidae) occur in Mexico. Of these, 2 new species were named and 2 subspecies were heretofore unrecognized, 3 were reclassified, and 1 was ele- vated to species level. Cryptotis goldmani machetes, previously subsumed into C. g. goldmani, was reelevated based on ventral pelage color. Sorex veraepacis mutabilis contained 2 morphotypes, 1 of which matched that of the holotype; how- ever, the 2nd morphotype not only did not match that of the subspecific holotype, but also has a sympatric distribution. Thus, specimens of the 2nd morphotype are referred to a new species: Sorex ixtlanensis. Sorex saussurei formerly con- tained 4 subspecies of which the nominal S. s. saussurei contained 3 morphotypes based on position of the median tines of the I1s. Specimens of 1 morphotype match the holotype, have a distribution limited to the Transvolcanic Belt, and are referred to the now monotypic S. saussurei. Specimens of the 2nd morphotype, herein referred to a new species Sorex mediopua, also are limited to the Transvolcanic Belt and can be found at many of the same localities as those of S. saussurei. Specimens of the 3rd morphotype, not only include a portion of the specimens formerly included in S. s. saussurei, but all those previously referred to the other 3 subspecies of S. saussurei: cristobalensis, oaxacae, and veraecrucis. Based on priority, veraecrucis is elevated to specific status with cristobalensis and oaxacae as subspecies. The specimens formerly contained within S. s. saussurei are referred to a new subspecies: Sorex veraecrucis altoensis. Sorex veraecrucis now has the broadest distribution of any taxon of shrews in Mexico. Key words: shrews, Soricidae, Mexico, Eulypotyphla, Cryptotis, Notiosorex, Megasorex, Sorex. RESUMEN.—El examen de los registros publicados y los análisis de morfométricos y morfológicos de 3398 espec- imenes de museo, revelaron que cuatro géneros, incluyendo 30 especies monotípicas y cinco politípicas de musarañas (Soricidae), ocurren en México. De éstas, dos especies nuevas fueron nombradas y dos subespecies dejaron de ser reconocidas a partir de ahora, tres fueron reclasificadas y una fue elevada al nivel de especie. Cryptotis goldmani, previ- amente considerada la subespecie nominal, fue restablecida con base en el color del pelage ventral. En Sorex veraepacis mutabilis se encontraron dos morfotipos, uno de los cuales correspondía con el holotipo subespecífico, mientras que el otro además de ser diferente, mostraba distribución simpátrica. Por ende, los especimenes este morfotipo son referidos a la nueva especie, Sorex ixtlanensis. Originalmente, Sorex saussurei estaba representada por cuatro subespecies de las cuales la nominal, S. s. saussurei, incluía tres morfotipos, con base en la posición de las cúspides accesorias mediales de los I1. Los especimenes de uno de los morfotipos corresponden con el holotipo, tienen una distribución limitada al Eje Volcánico Transversal y son referidas a S. saussurei, ahora considerada monotípica. Los especimenes del segundo mor- fotipo, considerados aquí dentro de la nueva especie Sorex mediopua, también se limitan al Eje Volcánico Transversal y pueden ser encontrados en varias de las mismas localidades de los ejemplares de S. saussurei. Los especimenes del ter- cer morfotipo no solo incluyen una porción de los ejemplares inicialmente incluidos en S. s. saussurei, sino a todos los que previamente eran referidos a las otras tres subespecies de S. saussurei: cristobalensis, oaxacae y veraecrucis. Por pri- oridad, veraecrucis es elevada al nivel específico, quedando cristobalensis y oaxacae como subespecies. Los especimenes inicialmente asignados dentro de S. s. saussurei son referidos a la nueva subespecie, Sorex veraecrucis altoensis. S. ver- aecrucis tiene ahora la distribución más extensa entre todos los taxa de musarañas en México. Palabras clave: musarañas, Eulypotyphla, México, Cryptotis, Notiosorex, Megasorex, Sorex. Biologists working in Mexico have an exten- shrews (Soricidae) has been sorely neglected. sive history of conducting research on mam- The 1st publication to refer to a soricid (Cryp- mals, particularly bats, rodents, carnivores, and totis parva berlandieri) from Mexico (Mata- artiodactyls (Villa-R. 1966, Ramírez-Pulido et al. moros, Tamaulipas) was in 1857 (Baird 1857). 1983, 1986, 2000, Ramírez-Pulido and Castro- Since that time, >2900 articles have been pub- Campillo 1990, 1994, Cervantes 1991, Villa-R. lished in which mammals from Mexico were and Cervantes 2003). However, research on mentioned, of which only about 229 contained 1Nash 104, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. 1 2 MONOGRAPHS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICAN NATURALIST [No. 3 information on soricids up to the year 2000 Chiapas (along the southern coast of Chiapas), (Ramírez-Pulido et al. 1983, 1986, 2000, and Sierra del Norte de Chiapas (in northern Ramírez-Pulido and Castro-Campillo 1990, Chiapas) produce significant rainshadow effects 1994) and at least 16 more since 2000. and many isolated habitat types. Although Choate (1970) provided a taxonomic Biotic regions (Fig. 2) of Mexico include review of Cryptotis and Hall and Kelson (1959) low- and high-elevation tropical cloud and rain and Hall (1981) included all taxa distributed in forests, low-elevation scrub woodlands, low- Mexico, most of these were either faunal lists and high-elevation deserts, and numerous or original descriptions. However, several of 3660+ m mountains with fairly isolated habitats the publications were morphometric studies on above treeline that contain relictual vertebrate a limited number of species from restricted geo- populations (Smith 1941, Moore 1945, Gold- graphic areas or genetic evaluations of a few man and Moore 1946, Goldman 1951, Barrera species. Perhaps the reason behind the low 1962, Rzedowski 1986, Fa 1989, Álvarez and number of more expansive publications has been Lachica 1991, Campbell 1999, Morrone et al. the difficulty in obtaining specimens and in 1999, Ceballos et al. 2002a, Villa-R. and Cer- identifying those few specimens researchers vantes 2003). The Baja California peninsula collected as incidentals when trapping rodents. itself has 3 distinct physiographic regions (Rze- Even now, some taxa (e.g., Cryptotis griseoven- dowski 1986, Álvarez-Castañeda et al. 1995, tris, C. mayensis, C. parva soricina, and Notio- Villa-R. and Cervantes 2003): Biotic Province ° ′ sorex crawfordi) in Mexico are best known California north of 30 30 N, Biotic Province ° from their remains found in owl (Order Strigi- Baja California Sur south of 27 N, and in formes) pellets rather than direct collection of between the Biotic Province Desierto del specimens of these taxa by trapping. Vizcaíno. Biotic Province California contains The flora and fauna of Mexico have been the montane biotic district San Pedro Mártir greatly impacted by the climatic effects of not to the east and the coastal plain biotic district San Diego. Biotic Province Desierto del Viz- only an ocean abutting the long west coast and caíno (= central desert of Baja California) con- the Gulf of Mexico along the east coast, but tains the biotic district Baja California Central also by 2 dramatic geological features (Fig. 1). characterized by the Desierto de Vizcaíno and First, the Transvolcanic Belt, containing numer- the biotic district Desierto de Colorado to the ous mountains (elevations range from 2000 m east. The Desierto de Vizcaíno, combined with to >4000 m) oriented northwest to southeast the mountainous region to its east, creates a (bounded by latitude 19°N and 20°N and lon- ° ° sharp delineation of the mammalian fauna into gitude 96 E and 105 E), transects the country northern and southern units (Huey 1964). And, from the Volcán San Juan, Nayarit, and Volcán Biotic Province Baja California Sur contains de Colima, Colima, on the west coast to Cerro the mountainous biotic district Sierra de la Cofre de Perote and Volcán Pico de Orizaba Giganta, which dominates the northern section near the east coast and Sierra de Los Tuxtlas of the Province, and the biotic district Cabo on the east coast of Veracruz (Baker 1971, Fa which includes the area south of La Paz. Factors 1989, Ceballos and Navarro L. 1991, Armstrong that contribute to the extraordinary array of 1996).