Diet of the cloud forest shrew Cryptotis meridensis (Insectivora: Soricidae) in the Venezuelan Andes

Abstract

Diaz de Pascual A. and De Ascengao A. A. 2000. Diet of the cloud forest shrew Cryptotis meridensis (Insectivora: Soricidae) in the Venezuelan Andes. Acta Theriologica 45: 13-24. The diet of Cryptotis meridensis Thomas, 1898 was studied by analysing stomach contents of 55 shrews collected by pitfall trapping in the cloud forest of Monte Zerpa, Merida, Venezuela. The aims of the study were to describe the diet of this unknown tropical species and test the prediction that this species should be more of a subterranean feeder according to its morphological adaptations. The diet was composed of 35 different prey taxa distributed in six invertebrate classes (Gastropoda, Annelida, Arachnida, Crustacea, Myriapoda and Insecta). The most important components of the diet were hypogeal invertebrates: Oligochaeta, Gastropoda, Theraposidae, Isopoda, Scolopendridae, Phasmatidae, Blatiidae, Lepidoptera larvae and pupae, Diptera larvae, adult Carabidae, Staphilinidae, Elateridae larvae, Passalidae and Scarabaeidae larvae. Their contribution was 69.44% of the overall diet composition. Oligochaeta were the most frequent prey. Ephigeal invertebrates (Lycosidae, Acrididae, Gryllidae, adult Scarabaeidae and Lycosidae) accounted for only 27.24%. The preferences for soil invertebrates found in this study confirmed our prediction that C. meridensis uses mostly a subterranean foraging mode in accord with its morphological adaptations similar to other shrews in temperate habitats.