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Insectivora

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Eulypotyphla

Fossil range: Late Cretaceous - Recent

European HedgehogErinaceus europaeus

European Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus

Scientific classification

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Eulipotyphla
Haeckel, 1866

Families

Erinaceidae
Soricidae
Talpidae
Solenodontidae
Nesophontidae

The order Insectivora (from Latin insectum "insect" and vorare "to eat") or Lipotyphla is a biological clade within the class of mammals. In the past the clade was used as a scrapbasket for a variety of small to very small, relatively unspecialised, insectivorous mammals. The taxonomy has been refined in recent years, and treeshrews, elephant shrews, and colugos have now been placed in separate orders. Molecular evidence also indicates that golden moles and tenrecs should be separated as a new order Afrosoricida comprising Chrysochloridae (golden moles) and Tenrecidae (tenrecs). The species remaining in the clade Insectivora were then referred to as order Eulipotyphla. After further scrutiny, other evidence now indicates that even Erinaceidae (hedgehogs) should also be placed in a separate order from the remainder, comprising the families Soricidae (shrews), Talpidae (moles), Solenodontidae and Nesophontidae.[1] These two orders, Erinaceomorpha and Soricomorpha, now replace Insectivora.

Traditionally, the golden moles of southern Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar and Africa were grouped with the hedgehogs, shrews and moles in the Lipotyphla. However, there have always been minority opinions suggesting that Tenrecomorpha, or at least the golden moles, are not true Lipotyphlans.

These families have been placed within Insectivora in the past:

ˇ       Family Chrysochloridae (golden moles)

ˇ       Family Tenrecidae (tenrecs)

ˇ       Family Macroscelididae (elephant shrews)

ˇ       Family Tupaiidae (treeshrews)

ˇ       Family Cynocephalidae (colugos)

Not to be confused with insectivores (the eaters of insects considered as an ecological niche), not all of which belong to the Order Insectivora.

 

 

White-toothed shrew

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Crocidurinae[1]

Greater White-toothed Shrew, (Crocidura russula)

Greater White-toothed Shrew, (Crocidura russula)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Soricomorpha

Family:

Soricidae

Subfamily:

Crocidurinae

The White-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae.

Unlike the red-toothed shrews, the outer layer of their teeth is white. These species are typically found in Africa and southern Europe and Asia. This subfamily includes the largest shrew, the Asian House Shrew (Suncus murinus), at about 15 cm in length, and the smallest, the Etruscan Shrew (Suncus etruscus), at about 3.5 cm in length and 2 grams in weight, possibly the world's smallest living mammal (although some give this title to the Bumblebee Bat). Genus Crocidura, contains the largest number of species of any mammal genus.

When young must be moved before they are independent, mother and young form a chain or "caravan" where each animal hangs on to the rear of the one in front. This behaviour has also been observed in some species in genus Sorex.

The list of species is:

References

1.     ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 224-263. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 

 

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=White-toothed_shrew&action=history

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Insectivora&action=history

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