[新聞] New Shrews Found in Indonesia

本帖最後由 dxb 於 2011-7-28 09:03 AM 編輯

New Shrew Review
A newfound white-toothed shrew of the Crocidura genus (pictured) is one of four potential new shrew species discovered  during an April field survey of Mount Tompotika, a small mountain on the  eastern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (map). DNA analyses currently underway will reveal which of the mammals are truly new to science.

Like all shrews, the mammals have small eyes and a sharply developed sense of smell for rooting out small invertebrates such as earthworms, said team member Jake Esselstyn, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.

"People  don't appreciate how little we know about the natural world—even basics  like how many species there are on Sulawesi," Esselstyn said.
"This  kind of work is important to [show] how many species live in particular  places, what their evolutionary history is, and how we can preserve  natural biological communities."

Super Schnoz
The  mossy forest shrew, such as this individual pictured in April on  Sulawesi, is among the previously known neighbor species of the four  potentially new shrews found in Indonesia.

Among the tiniest mammals, shrews "live fast and die young," according to the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation.
Some shrews have heartbeats that can race up to 1,200 beats a minute, the conservation group says.

Nontoxic Shrew
A new, unnamed species of white-toothed shrew walks across a fallen log on Indonesia's Mount Tompotika in April.
Some shrew species have venomous saliva that helps them subdue prey—but not the newfound animals, Esselstyn said.

Stretched-Out Shrew
This elongated shrew (Crocidura elongata)—pictured on Mount Tompotika in April—may or may not represent a new species.
The Tompotika variety has obvious anatomical differences from C. elongata found elsewhere on Sulawesi—including different colored fur and a  different tail length. Even so, it's too early to call the newfound type  a distinct species, according to the local nonprofit the Alliance for  Tompotika Conservation.
C. elongata is  one of the few species of shrew that can switch between terrestrial and  arboreal habitats. The small mammals use their long tails and feet to  balance when aloft, Esselstyn said.

Isolated Jungle
Much  of Sulawesi is highly isolated and little studied. The April survey  increased the number of species known to exist only on Tompotika to  about ten, including the presumed new shrews, a snake, three frogs, and  three geckos. (See pictures: "'Lost World' of New Species Found in Indonesia.")
To  catch the potential new shrews, the team used pitfall traps. To make a  trap, the researchers buried buckets in the ground, with the openings  flush with the soil surface. The researchers then made long barriers  using tarps and sticks. The "fences" directed the animals toward the  open buckets, and the shrews fell in.

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