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254. Dsinezumi White-toothed Shrew Crocidura dsinezuma French: Crocidure du Japon / German: Dsinezumi-Weifl3zahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Dsinezumi Other common names: Dsinezumi Shrew, Japanese White-toothed Shrew Taxonomy. Crocidura dsinezumi Temminck, 1842, no type locality given. Restricted by H. Abe in 1967 to Kyushu, Japan. Previously considered to include C. orias a subspecies. Closely related to C. tanakae kurodai of Taiwan and C. lasiura of Russia. The forms chisai, intermedia, and okinoshimae were previously treated as its subspecies, but all are indistinguishable based on either morphological or molecular data and are now considered to be junior synonyms. Sorex umbrinus was considered a race of C. dsinezumi butits type locality is unknown, and its taxonomic status has been left unresolved; it might represent an undescribed subspecies. Monotypic. Distribution. Originally endemic to Japan, and mainly distributed in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu; it has been found in other small islands including Sado, Oki Is, Mishima, Okinoshima (Fukuoka Prefecture), Tanegashima, Yakushima, Nakanoshima (Tokara Is), and Izu Is. Introduced to Hokkaido and Jeju I (South Korea). Descriptive notes. Head-body 61-84 mm, tail 39-54 mm, ear 10-10-5 mm, hindfoot 11-5-15 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive length 16-7-21-6 mm, tooth row 7-:2-9-1 mm. The Dsinezumi White-toothed Shrew is a small shrew and the sole Crocidura species in Kyushu, Honshu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido. Tail is usually shorter than 70% of head—body length, the bristle hair scattering along the basal half of tail. Dorsal pelage is between grayish pale bister and clove brown, and ventrum is between drab and brown in winter; in summer, dorsal pelage is snuff brown or clove brown, and ventrum is buffy brown or hair brown. Skull with broad and robust facial portion; braincase is long and narrow. Upper tooth row short; the first upper unicuspid is twice as long as the third; the second and third upper unicuspids are half as low as the first; third unicuspid slightly larger than, or subequal to the second. Paracone of upper premolar usually not exceeding the line connecting the tips of second and third unicuspids. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 40 and FNa = 52. Habitat. Occurs from sea level up to 1900 m. Found along riverbanks and waterfronts, and in bushes around cultivated land at low-lying elevations. At middle to high elevations, found along riverbanks, in open grassland, and occasionally in broadleaf forests. It was found sympatrically distributed with Sorex species, and Japanese Shrew Moles (Urotrichus talpoides) in mid-elevational montane areas. Ural owls (Strix uralensis), Japanese mamushi pit vipers (Gloydius), and feral cats are recorded predators. Food and Feeding. The Dsinezumi White-toothed Shrew is insectivorous. Its diet is primarily composed of small insects (Coleoptera and Hymenoptera), spiders, and centipedes, but also includes crustaceans and earthworms. Breeding. Mating system is unknown. Reproductive season appears to be from April to October, when testis size is developed. Gestation period is 28-9 days on average (26-33) in captivity. Litter size was reported to be 1-5 in the wild, and 1-4 in captivity. Activity patterns. Terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. There is no serious threat to this species. Population appears to be large and stable. As it adapts well to cultivated land, the population is unlikely to be declining. Bibliography. Abe (1967), Dubey, Salamin et al. (2008), Motokawa (2003b), Ohdachi et al. (2009), Ruedi et al. (1993)., Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, pp. 332-551 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 484-485, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843

The Japanese white-toothed shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi) is a species endemic to Japan. For this species, only minimal phylogeographic investigations have been conducted. We obtained DNA sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b and control region and nuclear ApoB genes for 191 individuals of C. dsinezumi from 107 locations collected throughout its known range. In the phylogenetic trees based on mitochondrial DNA sequences, two haplogroups (Eastern and Western Clades) were recognized, and the demarcation line between them was located in central Honshu without an overlapping area. The estimated divergence time between the two major clades indicated that they could have diverged prior to the final geologic division of Hondo and the Asian Continent (100–150 KYA). For the ApoB gene, Types A, G, and R (heterozygote) were recognized although there was a single site mutation. Type A mainly occurs in eastern and central Japan and Types G and R in central and western Japan. It was suggested in the present study that some shrews in Hokkaido were introduced recently from eastern Honshu (possibly the Tohoku Region) whereas others might have been distributed there naturally, and that population in Jeju (South Korea) was introduced recently from Kyushu.

This study investigated geographic variation in the Asian lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura shantungensis Miller, 1901, among a number of localities in East Asia, including the Korean Peninsula, Tsushima Island, Cheju Island, and Taiwan, using univariate and multivariate analyses of cranial morphometric characters. Sexual differences were found in Taiwanese shrews, but were not evident in those from Korea or Tsushima. The samples from Taiwan had a larger overall cranial size than those from Korea and Tsushima, and were well separated from the latter two samples in the discriminant analyses. The overall size of the Cheju shrews was also greater, but lay within the variation of those from Taiwan. Crocidura dsinezumi quelpartis Kuroda, 1934, described from Cheju Island, is actually a junior synonym of C. shantungensis, and is not related to C. dsinezumi.

Molecular phylogeny of crocidurine shrews (Insectivora, Soricidae) in northeastern Asia was investigated to confirm the taxonomic status of unidentified specimens of Crocidura from Cheju Island, South Korea. Phylogenetic trees were constructed by neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences (402 base pairs) of 40 individuals of seven crocidurine species and three unidentified specimens from 31 localities mainly in northeastern Asia. Phylogenetic positions of the three unidentified specimens from Cheju Island were compared with those of Suncus murinus, C. attenuata, C. dsinezumi, C. lasiura, C. sibirica, C. suaveolens and C. watasei. Both in NJ and ML trees, the three unidentified specimens were included in the cluster of C. dsinezumi and obviously different from C. suaveolens on Cheju Island. Thus, the present investigation demonstrated that both of C. suaveolens and C. dsinezumi exist on Cheju Island.

A GTG-banding was used for a detailed comparative analysis of two 40-chromosome Crocidura species, Crocidura gueldenstaedtii and Crocidura dsinezumi. A high level of chromosomal homology was detected. A complex 520-bp EcoRI tandem repeat was isolated from C. dsinezumi. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), this repeat was localized to centromeric regions of chromosomes in both Crocidura species.

Sixty seven pellets of Long-eared Owls, Asio otus, were collected in a village, Ehime Prefecture, during 19February 2001to 6 April 2001. The bones of 164 Mus musculus, ten Micromys minutus, two Apodemus speciosus, two Rattus sp., seventeen Pipistrellus abramus, two Myotis macrodactylus, twelve Crocidura dsinezumi and a bird were found in the pellets. M. minutus, P. abramus, M. macrodactylus and C. dsinezumi were new records in diet of the Long-eared owls.

To assess the Zoogeographie and phylogenetic relationships of C. dsinezumi , its systematic position has been investigated through electrophoretic comparisons. These comparisons comprise typical Indomalayan and Palaearctic species, including C mssula , the supposed sister taxon of the Japanese white-toothed shrew. The range of measured genetic distances that separate dsinezumi from the other shrews (Nei's D = 0.232–0.406) is typical for interspecific comparisons among Crocidura taxa. Our results reinforce morphologic considerations that suggest C. dsinezumi be treated as a valid species. Phylogenetic relationships deduced from a cladistic treatment of allozyme data refute the possibility that the western Palaearctic C mssula is the sister taxon of C. dsinezumi . Zoogeographie interpretation of the genetic results indicates that the Southeast Asian representatives constitute a clade distinct from one that includes the Palaearctic species. However, C dsinezumi is difficult to assign to either clade due to many intermediate or plesiomorphic electrophoretic characters. Unlike the major karyologic and biochemical separation that divides Afrotropical and Palaearctic species, the subdivision between Palaearctic and Indomalayan Crocidura is not correlated with any trend in karyotypic evolution. It also is shown that the Eurasiatic species of Crocidura possessing 2n = 40 chromosomes (including C. dsinezumi ) do not represent a particular clade, but probably share a plesiomorphic character. Further analysis of other Indian or Asiatic species is needed to test whether the Palaearctic versus Indomalayan separation is due to real Zoogeographie barriers or whether it is the result of limited samples.

The dsinezumi shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi), a small insectivore, has been bred for the first time as a laboratory animal. The original animals were captured using Sherman's live traps and transferred into wooden cages. After several generations they were housed in plastic cages. Their diet consisted of trout pellets, cat food, and water provided ad libitum. Monogamous pairs were housed together for 2-3 weeks for mating, and the male was separated from the female during delivery and nursing. In captivity, the reproductive activity was observed throughout the year and the gestation period was estimated at 28-30 days with a litter size of between 1 and 4 pups. Pups grew very rapidly, and reached adult body size (mean: male, 9.7 g; female, 8.3 g) and sexual maturation at 6-8 weeks of age. The reproductive life was estimated at one and a half years, while the longevity was approximately 2 years.

We investigated the mammalian fauna of the four offshore islands (Hiburijima, Tojima, Kashima, and Kushima) of Uwajima City, Shikoku, Japan. As a result, six species: dsinezumi shrew Crocidura dsinezumi, raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, weasel Mustela sp., masked palm civet Paguma larvata, wild boar Sus scrofa, and Japanese hare Lepus brachyurus, were recorded. Weasels in Hiburijima are presumably descended from the population introduced from the mainland Ehime Prefecture around 1960. On the other hand, weasels introduced to Kashima and Tojima were probably extinct. Wild boars in Hiburijima, Tojima, and Kushima are presumably an invading population from the mainland. Agricultural damage by wild boar was found in the islands., 宇和海の4つの有人島: 九島, 嘉島, 戸島, 日振島(いずれも愛媛県宇和島市)において聞き取り調査とフィールドサイン調査を実施し, 野生哺乳類の分布を調べた. その結果, 九島ではタヌキ, イタチ類(イタチあるいはチョウセンイタチ), ハクビシン, イノシシ, ニホンノウサギ, 戸島ではニホンジネズミとイノシシ, 日振島ではイタチ類とイノシシの分布情報を得た. 嘉島では野生哺乳類の分布情報が得られなかった. 日振島に低密度で分布するイタチ類は, 1960年頃にドブネズミの天敵として愛媛県本土から導入された個体群の子孫であると考えられた. 同じ頃に嘉島と戸島へ導入されたイタチ類は絶滅した可能性が高い. 九島, 戸島, 日振島のイノシシは本土から近年新たに侵入した個体群であると考えられた. これらの島嶼ではイノシシによる農作物の被害が発生していた.

Crocidura dsinezumi (Temminck, 1843). In Siebold, Fauna Japonica, 2(Mamm.):26. TYPE LOCALITY: Japan, Kyushu. DISTRIBUTION: Japan; Quelpart Isl (Korea); possibly Taiwan. SYNONYMS: chisai, hosletti, intermedia, okinoshimae, quelpartis, umbrina. COMMENTS: The spelling of the name was clarified by Corbet (1978b); dsinezumi was placed on the Official List of Specific Names; see the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1983). Includes chisai and quelpartis, but not orii; see Corbet (1978c). Formerly included in russula; see Jameson and Jones (1977). The subspecies hosletti described by these authors from Taiwan is tentatively included in dsinezumi rather than russula on the basis of published measurements and descriptions., Published as part of Rainer Hutterer, 1993, Order Insectivora, pp. 69-130 in Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London :Smithsonian Institution Press on page 84, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7353085, {"references":["Corbet, G. B. 1978 b. Sorex dsinezumi Temminck, 1844 (Mammalia, Insectivora): Proposed use of the plenary powers to rule a correct original spelling. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 35: 125 - 126.","International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 1983. Opinion 1256. Sorex dsinezumi Temminck, 1843 (Mammalia, Insectivora): Ruled to be a correct original spelling. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 40: 147 - 148.","Corbet, G. B. 1978 c. The mammals of the Palaearctic region: A taxonomic review. British Museum (Natural History), London, 314 pp.","Jameson, E. W., and G. S. Jones. 1977. The Soricidae of Taiwan. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 90: 459 - 482."]}

The granular duct cells in the submandibular glands of house shrew (Suncus murinus riukivanus) and dsinezumi shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi) were studied by light and electron microscope. Their ducts showed similar structures and were better developed in the male than in the female of both animals. The myoepithelia associated with the duct cells showed a characteristic distribution, that is, they were ranged not only as proximal granular duct segment but also as distal striated duct segment. Various sized secretory granules in the duct cells of both animals contained neutral glyco-proteins in histochemistry and those of dsinezumi shrew showed more dense matrix than those of house shrew in ultrastructure. Characteristic myelin-like bodies were also contained in the granular duct cells of both animals. It was suggested that they were derived with granular endoplasmic reticulum and successively formed to be discharged into the lumen of the granular ducts as a component of saliva.

The karyological relationship between the Japanese white- toothed shrew and the Japanese house shrew is examined, using G- and C-banding methods. The“homologous”chromosomes or chromosome regions between species as identified by the G-band homology amounted in total to almost 85% of the total chromosome length of C. d. chisai. These findings strongly indicate that the G-bands of these two shrew species have highly been conserved throughout the course of their phylogenesis in spite of marked differentiation in their morphology and ecological characteristics.

Karyotypes of two Japanese insectivorous species, Crocidura dsinezumi chisai (2n=40, FN=52) and C. horsfieldi watasei (2n=26, FN=48), are investigated by G- and C-banding pattern analysis. Based on the G-banding patterns it is suggested that the 7 meta- or submetacentric pairs observed in C. h. watasei have been developed by the Robertsonian fusion of 10 acrocentric pairs, and also the centromere-telomere translocations between two subtelocentric and acrocentric pairs included in the C. d. chisai karyotype.

From the study of fossils the present status of mammals in Japan is considered to have appeared since the Diluvian epoch of Quaternary. Most of the present mammals in Japan show close relation to those of the Asiatic Continent and the distribution pattern shows that there occurred animal interchange between the both areas in ancient times. Prototype of mammalian fauna of Hokkaido seems to have been constructed up to Post-glacier period after the isolation of Hokkaido from the neighbouring areas. At present, mammalian fauna of Hokkaido includes 19 sp. and 34 subsp. belonging to 34 genera, 14 families, 6 orders (see Table 1). The characteristic of mammalian fauna of Hokkaido is consisted in a mixed existence both of northern cold zone species and of southern temperate zone species including some great sphere ones. There are many marine animals which are rare in the Main Island. The existence of many northern cold species in Hokkaido and South-Kuriles shows close faunal relation to Sakhalin and Primorskii. Three genera of the vole, namely Clethrionomys, Aschizomys and Eothenomys; two species of the shrew, namely Sorex minutissimus and Sorex hosonoi; two species of the squirrel, namely Sciurus vulgaris and Sciurus lis; and two species of the hare, namely Lepus Brachyurus and Lepus timidus are very similar respectively in all aspects. However, no phylogenetic study of the animal has been made, though the matter is very interesting. The occurrence of Crocidura dsinezumi, Sorex minutissimus and Ochotona hyperborea in Hokkaido is particular. Their ecological and zoogeographical studies are necessary. More species of mammals in Kuriles may be added in future.

We investigated the mammalian fauna of the four offshore islands (Hiburijima, Tojima, Kashima, and Kushima) of Uwajima City, Shikoku, Japan. As a result, six species: dsinezumi shrew Crocidura dsinezumi, raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, weasel Mustela sp., masked palm civet Paguma larvata, wild boar Sus scrofa, and Japanese hare Lepus brachyurus, were recorded. Weasels in Hiburijima are presumably descended from the population introduced from the mainland Ehime Prefecture around 1960. On the other hand, weasels introduced to Kashima and Tojima were probably extinct. Wild boars in Hiburijima, Tojima, and Kushima are presumably an invading population from the mainland. Agricultural damage by wild boar was found in the islands.

Crocidura dsinezumi (Temminck, 1844). In Siebold, Fauna Japónica, Part 2:26. TYPE LOCALITY: Japan, Kyushu. DISTRIBUTION: Japan; Ryukyu Isis.; Quelpart Isl. (Korea). COMMENT: The spelling of the name was clarified by Corbet, 1978:28, and in Bull. Zool. Nomenci., 35: 125, but misprinted in the same paper. Includes chisai and quelpartis; see Corbet, 1978:28; but also see Jameson and Jones, 1977, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 90:459-482, who placed these taxa in russula., Published as part of James H. Honacki, Kenneth E. Kinman & James W. Koeppl, 1982, Order Insectivora, pp. 58-106 in Mammal Species of the World (1 st Edition), Lawrence, Kansas, USA :Alien Press, Inc. & The Association of Systematics Collections on page 73, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7353001, {"references":["Jameson, E. W., and G. S. Jones. 1977. The Soricidae of Taiwan. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 90: 459 - 482."]}

The tongue and lingual papillae of the Japanese Insectivora, the Shinto shrew (Sorex caecuiens saevus), the long-clawed shrew (S. unguiculatus), the dsinezumi shrew (Crocidura dsinezumi dsinezumi) and the Japanese water shrew (Chimarrogale himalyica platycephala), were observed by scanning electron microscope. The tongue of these animals had two vallate papillae. In two species of the Sorex a papilla in the vallate papilla was surrounded by two separated trenches, but in the other species it was surrounded by only a continuous trench and a clear vallum. The fungiform papillae in the Sorex were less developed than those of the other species. In the Sorex and Crocidura, there was no filiform papilla on the lingual apex. These genera, however, have papillary projections in the margin of the lingual apex. The results of this investigation suggest that the Sorex and Crocidura indicate an ancient form of the mammalian tongue. These characters, furthermore, were compared among seven species in six genera added three species observed by Kobayashi et al. (1983) to this study.