''Crocidura sapaensis'' is a species of

white-toothed shrew The white-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae. The outer layer of these shrews' teeth is white, unlike that of the red-toothed shrews. These species are typically found in Africa and souther ...

native to northern Vietnam. It was first described in 2013 and its specific name derives from the

Sa Pa Sa Pa (, also written as Sapa) is a district-level town of Lào Cai Province in the Northwest region of Vietnam. As of 2018, the town had a population of 61,498. The town covers an area of 677 km2. The town capital lies at Sa Pa. It is one ...

where it was discovered.

Description

''Crocidura sapaensis'' is very similar in appearance to the Hainan Island shrew (''Crocidura wuchihensis'') and it was only recognised as a separate species in 2013 after

molecular analysis Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

. This shows that ''C. sapaensis'' is more closely related to the Indochinese shrew (''Crocidura indochinensis''), however these two species are more morphologically distinct. There may have been convergence between ''C. wuchihensis'' and ''C. sapaensis'' due to them occupying similar ecological niches. ''Crocidura sapaensis'' is a small shrew with a relatively long tail. Its head and body length ranges from and its tail length from . Its short fur is a dark greyish-brown colour. The tail is a similar colour but slightly paler underneath. The most significant morphological difference between this species and ''C. wuchihensis'' is the structure of the third molar in the lower jaw.

Distribution and habitat

''Crocidura sapaensis'' is found in several different types of habitat in the vicinity of Tram Ton Station of

Hoang Lien National Park Huang (; ) is a Chinese surname that originally means and refers to jade people were wearing and decorating in ancient times. While ''Huáng'' is the pinyin romanization of the word, it may also be romanized as Hwang, Wong, Waan, Wan, Waon, Hwon ...

. These include primary forest with large trees, mixed evergreen forests, clearings, grassy glades and the wooded banks of streams. It was most common in slightly disturbed, mixed forests and was found at altitudes of between above sea level.

Biology

At all times of year, there seem to be more males than females of this species. Pregnant females were found between May and July and the average size of litter was three.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16752143 Crocidura Rodents of Vietnam Mammals described in 2013