The first record of Episoriculus umbrinus from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomic composition of Episoriculus (Mammalia, Soricidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The mitochondrial cytochrome b and nuclear ApoB and RAG2 genes were used to estimate the phylogenetic relationships in Asiatic red-toothed shrews (Soricidae, Episoriculus). Based on molecular data, the genus Episoriculus seems to consist of at least seven valid species: E. baileyi, E. caudatus, E. leucops, E. macrurus, E. sacratus, E. soluensis, and E. umbrinus. Genetic distances among all of them are found to be of 8–16%, with the only low distance (3.4%) being that between E. baileyi and E. leucops. Taiwanese shrew E. fumidus shows high genetic divergence (16–17% for cytb) from other species of Episoriculus. Based on both genetic and morphological data it should be attributed to a separate new genus Pseudosoriculus gen.n. Episoriculus umbrinus was found in Lao Cai Province, representing a new species record for the fauna of Vietnam; morphology-based diagnosis of this specimen has reliably been confirmed by molecular data. How to cite this article: Abramov A.V., Bannikova A.A., Chernetskaya D.M., Lebedev V.S., Rozhnov V.V. 2017. The first record of Episoriculus umbrinus from Vietnam, with notes on the taxonomic composition of Episoriculus (Mammalia, Soricidae) // Russian J. Theriol. Vol.16. No.2. P.117–128. doi: 10.15298/ rusjtheriol.16.2.01