Sorex arizonae

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	EULIPOTYPHLA	SORICIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sorex arizonae

Species Authority

Diersing & Hoffmeister, 1977

Common Name/s:

English

–

Arizona Shrew

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Woodman, N., Matson, J. & Castro-Arellano, I.

Evaluator/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Chanson, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern because of its wide distribution, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

History:

1996

–

Vulnerable (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species' distribution is restricted to southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, in the United States, and northwestern Mexico (Nowak, 1999) in the state of Chihuahua. It is found from 1,500 to 2,600 m asl (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). The only known Mexican specimen was collected at 2,591 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Mexico; United States
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species was only known from a few specimens from the Animas Mountains of New Mexico and the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua, Mexico until surveys initiated by the Arizona Game and Fish Dept in 1992 and 1993 found 30 more specimens (increasing the reported individuals known from 22 to 52) (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). This shrew may be more abundant and widespread than records suggest (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). In Mexico it is known only from one specimen in Chihuahua at 2,600 m asl (Carraway, 2007).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

This species was only known from a few specimens from the Animas Mountains of New Mexico and the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua, Mexico until surveys initiated by the Arizona Game and Fish Dept in 1992 and 1993 found 30 more specimens (increasing the reported individuals known from 22 to 52) (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). This shrew may be more abundant and widespread than records suggest (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). In Mexico it is known only from one specimen in Chihuahua at 2,600 m asl (Carraway, 2007).

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species occupies forested slopes, and is often found near springs or other water sources where considerable vegetation cover exists (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). It is nearly always found beneath a thick canopy of vegetation (Simons, in Wilson and Ruff 1999). It has been collected in montane conifer forest and encinal and Mexican oak-pine woodland, in relatively mature forest with substantial understorey vegetation and debris (e.g., logs, stumps), often in canyons along riparian edges of pine-oak forest, such as among horsetails near a spring in dense woodland (oak, walnut maple, sycamore, and some Douglas-fir), in thick woodland where large boulders were present with large pines, walnuts, oaks, and maples, and along a dry wooded streambed.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species occupies forested slopes, and is often found near springs or other water sources where considerable vegetation cover exists (Wilson and Ruff, 1999). It is nearly always found beneath a thick canopy of vegetation (Simons, in Wilson and Ruff 1999). It has been collected in montane conifer forest and encinal and Mexican oak-pine woodland, in relatively mature forest with substantial understorey vegetation and debris (e.g., logs, stumps), often in canyons along riparian edges of pine-oak forest, such as among horsetails near a spring in dense woodland (oak, walnut maple, sycamore, and some Douglas-fir), in thick woodland where large boulders were present with large pines, walnuts, oaks, and maples, and along a dry wooded streambed.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	If this species is as rare and restricted in distribution as it appears to be in some areas (e.g., Animas Mountains, New Mexico), it may be vulnerable to localized adverse habitat alterations. Potential threats include habitat alteration and degradation caused by removal of downed woody debris through understorey clearing and firewood collection; intense ground-burning fires that remove ground structure could cause local extirpations. Locally, this shrew might be threatened by livestock grazing and development of recreation sites in Arizona. However, the responses of this species to various habitat alterations and management practices are poorly known.

Major Threat(s):

If this species is as rare and restricted in distribution as it appears to be in some areas (e.g., Animas Mountains, New Mexico), it may be vulnerable to localized adverse habitat alterations. Potential threats include habitat alteration and degradation caused by removal of downed woody debris through understorey clearing and firewood collection; intense ground-burning fires that remove ground structure could cause local extirpations. Locally, this shrew might be threatened by livestock grazing and development of recreation sites in Arizona. However, the responses of this species to various habitat alterations and management practices are poorly known.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in protected areas in Arizona (John Matson pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in protected areas in Arizona (John Matson pers. comm.).

Citation:	Woodman, N., Matson, J. & Castro-Arellano, I. 2008. Sorex arizonae. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2008.
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