Crocidura hikmiya (Sinharaja shrew or Sri Lankan rain forest shrew) is a species of shrew described from the rainforests of Sri Lanka, based on both morphological and molecular data. Its closest sister species is the Sri Lankan long-tailed shrew, another Sri Lankan crocidurine shrew restricted to the high-elevation habitats of the Central Highlands. C. hikmiya has a shorter tail than the Sri Lankan long-tailed shrew. Most of the other characteristics that distinguish the two species are osteological natured .[2]

Crocidura hikmiya
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Crocidura
Species:
C. hikmiya
Binomial name
Crocidura hikmiya
Meegaskumbura, Meegaskumbura, Manamendra-Arachchi, Pethiyagoda & Schneider, 2007
Crocidura hikmiya range

Etymology

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The specific epithet hikmiya is Sinhala for ‘shrew’, applied here as a substantive in apposition. It is known as ශ්‍රී ලංකා සිංහරාජ කුනු හික් මීයා in Sinhala.

Habitat

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It is known only from two forest-edge sites in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, at Kudawa and Morningside.

References

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  1. ^ Meegaskumbura, S.; Meegaskumbura, M. (2008). "Crocidura hikmiya". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T136596A4316355. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136596A4316355.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ S. H. Meegaskumbura; M. Meegaskumbura; K. Manamendra-Arachchi; R. Pethiyagoda; C. J. Schneider (2007). "Crocidura hikmiya, a new shrew (Mammalia: Soricomorpha: Soricidae) from Sri Lanka" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1665: 19–30. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1665.1.2.
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