Mammals of the WorldHimalayan Large-clawed Shrew
Soriculus nigrescens
- Order
- Eulipotyphla
- Family
- Soricidae
- Genus
- Soriculus
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Bhutan|India|Nepal|China|Myanmar?
- Realm
- Palearctic|Indomalaya
Other names: Sikkim Large-clawed Shrew|Himalayan Shrew
About this species
- Weight
- About 17.6g
- Habitat
- Montane forest at 700–4,500m; probably digs, given its enlarged forelimbs
- Range
- Southern Himalayas in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal
The Himalayan shrew is a red-toothed shrew native to montane forest in the southern Himalayas in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Nepal, at altitudes from 700 to 4,500m. It is generally considered the only species in its genus, though other possibly valid species were described in 2023 and 2024 (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is relatively large, the largest of its genus, at about 17.6g. The fur varies from brown to black, and the tail is relatively short, about half the combined length of head and body. The forelimbs and their claws are enlarged, which suggests a digging way of life. The source opened gives no diet or breeding detail.
Description: Wildlife of Bhutan guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)