Himalayan shrew

Himalayan shrew
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Soricidae
Genus:	Soriculus
Species:	S. nigrescens
Binomial name
Soriculus nigrescens (Gray, 1842)
Himalayan shrew range

The Himalayan shrew (Soriculus nigrescens) is a species of shrew in the subfamily Soricinae (red-toothed shrews) and tribe Nectogalini. It is native to montane forest habitats in the southern Himalayas in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal, ranging in altitude from 700 metres (2,300 ft) to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft). It is generally considered to be the only species in the genus Soriculus (though other potentially valid species in the genus were described in 2023 and 2024). The body size is relatively, large, the largest in Soriculus, at approximately 17.6 grams (0.62 oz). The fur colour varies from brown to black. The tail is relatively short, about half the length of the combined head and body. The forelimbs and their claws are relatively enlarged, suggesting fossorial (digging) habits for the species.

References

• Hutterer, R. 2005. Order Soricomorpha. Pp. 220–311 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0