Morphological and biometrical study on cranial and dental remains of Sorex araneus, Sorex samniticus and Sorex arunchi (Mammalia, Insectivora, Soricidae)

Bone remains in nocturnal birds of prey pellets are important in the study of the ecology and the distribution of small mammals. Sorex araneus, Sorex samniticus and Sorex arunchi are three “sibling species” of shrews from Italy. They were formerly considered a single species, S. araneus, from which S. samniticus was separated in 1979, and then S. arunchi in 1998. It is possible to distinguish the three shrews, by external body features, but it is very difficult to do so using only skull remains. This study looks for identification characters in the morphology of teeth, mandibles and palates and for measures that could separate the three species. As a result, it is possible, in the majority of cases, to separate the appennine shrew, but it is still quite impossible to distinguish the other two from each other. In fact S. arunchi, similar to S. samniticus in its external body features, has dentition and skull morphology quite similar to S. araneus, from which it differs only in general smaller size.