A newfound white-toothed shrew of the Crocidura genus (pictured) is one of four potential new shrew species discovered during an April field survey of Mount Tompotika, a small mountain on the eastern tip of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi (map). DNA analyses currently underway will reveal which of the mammals are truly new to science.
Like all shrews, the mammals have small eyes and a sharply developed sense of smell for rooting out small invertebrates such as earthworms, said team member Jake Esselstyn, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
"People don't appreciate how little we know about the natural world—even basics like how many species there are on Sulawesi," Esselstyn said.
"This kind of work is important to [show] how many species live in particular places, what their evolutionary history is, and how we can preserve natural biological communities."
This elongated shrew (Crocidura elongata)—pictured on Mount Tompotika in April—may or may not represent a new species.
The Tompotika variety has obvious anatomical differences from C. elongata found elsewhere on Sulawesi—including different colored fur and a different tail length. Even so, it's too early to call the newfound type a distinct species, according to the local nonprofit the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation.
C. elongata is one of the few species of shrew that can switch between terrestrial and arboreal habitats. The small mammals use their long tails and feet to balance when aloft, Esselstyn said.
To catch the potential new shrews, the team used pitfall traps. To make a trap, the researchers buried buckets in the ground, with the openings flush with the soil surface. The researchers then made long barriers using tarps and sticks. The "fences" directed the animals toward the open buckets, and the shrews fell in.