Mediterranean water shrew

The Mediterranean, Southern or Miller's water shrew (Neomys milleri) is a species of insectivoran mammal in the family Soricidae.[1][2][3]

Mediterranean water shrew
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Neomys
Species:
N. milleri
Binomial name
Neomys milleri
Mottaz, 1907
Mediterranean water shrew range. The shrews in the Iberian peninsula are now recognised as a separate species, Neomys anomalus.
Synonyms

Neomys anomalus milleri

Distribution

The shrew is found in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.[1][2] This species was formerly a subspecies of Neomys anomalus along with the Iberian water shrew found in Spain, Portugal and southern France.[3][4]

Feeding habits

It feeds mainly on amphibians and small fish, but also take insects and worms. Because of its small size and thus higher surface area to volume ratio, it loses body heat more quickly and must eat two or three times its body mass each day.

References

  1. Hutterer, R.; Kryštufek, B.; Yigit, N.; Mitsainas, G.; Meinig, H.; Bertolino, S. & Palomo, L. (2021) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Neomys anomalus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T29657A197521634.
  2. "Neomys milleri Mottaz, 1907". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  3. Igea, Javier; Aymerich, Pere; Bannikova, Anna A.; Gosálbez, Joaquim; Castresana, Jose (2015). "Multilocus species trees and species delimitation in a temporal context: Application to the water shrews of the genus Neomys". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 15: 209. doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0485-z. PMC 4587729. PMID 26416383.
  4. "Neomys anomalus Cabrera, 1907". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved 24 February 2023.


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