New distribution records of Elegant Water Shrew Nectogale elegans Milne-Edwards, 1870 (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) from the western Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

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Aashna Sharma
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6938-7480
Vandana Rajput
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2330-8919
Vineet K. Dubey
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5825-6664
Aavika Dhanda
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0235-2005
Shagun Thakur
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7543-2700
J. A. Johnson
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5899-1682
S. Sathyakumar
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6089-6182
K. Sivakumar
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2027-4706

Abstract

Of the 13 known species of water shrews in the world, two water shrews are known from India, the Elegant Water Shrew Nectogale elegans and Himalayan Water Shrew Chimmarogale himalayica.  Of these, the Elegant Water Shrew was earlier reported only from streams of north Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, India.  During the period 2014–2016, the Elegant Water Shrews were sighted at three different locations in Uttarakhand State in the western Himalayan region.  The present records are evidence for the broader range of distribution of Nectogale elegans in India indicating that the species is more widely distributed than previously thought.  We present the details of sightings, habitats and behavior of shrews that were recorded during our study on impact of climate change on the aquatic ecosystem of the Himalaya.

Article Details

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Notes
Author Biographies

Aashna Sharma, Wildlife Institute of India

National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem- Project

Project Fellow

Vandana Rajput, Wildlife Institute of India

Biodiversiy Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvement Project

Project Assistant

Vineet K. Dubey, Wildlife Institute of India

National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem- Project

Project Associate

Aavika Dhanda, Bharti Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research

M.Sc.

Shagun Thakur, Wildlife Institute of India

National Mission for Himalayan Studies

Himalayan Research Fellow

J. A. Johnson, Wildlife Institute of India

Department of Habitat Ecology

Wildlife Institute of India

Scientist-E

 

S. Sathyakumar, Wildlife Institute of India

Department of Endangered Species Management

Wildlife Institute of India

Scientist-G

K. Sivakumar, Wildlife Institute of India

Department of Endangered Species Management

Wildlife Institute of India

Scientist-F

 

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