Christmas Island Shrew
Encyclopedia
The Christmas Island Shrew (Crocidura trichura), also known as Christmas Island Musk-shrew is an extremely rare or possibly extinct shrew
from Christmas Island
. It was variously placed as subspecies of the Asian Gray Shrew
(Crocidura attenuata) or the Southeast Asian Shrew
(Crocidura fuliginosa) , but morphological differences and the large distance between the species indicate that it is a distinct species . This forest dwelling mammal was at first thought to have vanished by 1908, probably due to a trypanosoma
disease carried by introduced black rat
s, which is also considered a likely cause of the extinctions of Maclear's Rat
and the Bulldog Rat
. After an unconfirmed sighting in 1958, it was rediscovered in 1985 when two specimens were caught. The two individuals later died. Several unconfirmed reports occurred between 1996 and 1998 but a survey undertaken in 2000 failed to find any individuals . Its disappearance in recent times might be caused by the accidentally introduced yellow crazy ant
(Anoplolepis gracilipes) which is a dangerous threat for many terrestrial animals on Christmas Island
.
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
from Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
. It was variously placed as subspecies of the Asian Gray Shrew
Asian Gray Shrew
The Asian Gray Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam....
(Crocidura attenuata) or the Southeast Asian Shrew
Southeast Asian Shrew
The Southeast Asian Shrew is a species of mammal in the Soricidae family. It is found in Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.-References:...
(Crocidura fuliginosa) , but morphological differences and the large distance between the species indicate that it is a distinct species . This forest dwelling mammal was at first thought to have vanished by 1908, probably due to a trypanosoma
Trypanosoma
Trypanosoma is a genus of kinetoplastids , a monophyletic group of unicellular parasitic flagellate protozoa. The name is derived from the Greek trypano and soma because of their corkscrew-like motion. All trypanosomes are heteroxenous and are transmitted via a vector...
disease carried by introduced black rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
s, which is also considered a likely cause of the extinctions of Maclear's Rat
Maclear's Rat
The Maclear's Rat was a large rat which lived on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. Abundant, unfamiliar with and seemingly unafraid of humans, large numbers of the creatures emerged and foraged in all directions at night...
and the Bulldog Rat
Bulldog Rat
The Bulldog Rat was a species of rat endemic to the Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. The rats lived on the higher hills and denser forests of the island. They had short tails and their backs were covered in a two centimetre thick layer of fat. They lived in small colonies, in burrows among...
. After an unconfirmed sighting in 1958, it was rediscovered in 1985 when two specimens were caught. The two individuals later died. Several unconfirmed reports occurred between 1996 and 1998 but a survey undertaken in 2000 failed to find any individuals . Its disappearance in recent times might be caused by the accidentally introduced yellow crazy ant
Yellow crazy ant
The yellow crazy ant is a species of ant, introduced accidentally to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, that has wreaked ecological damage in both locations....
(Anoplolepis gracilipes) which is a dangerous threat for many terrestrial animals on Christmas Island
Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
.