Pictures: New Shrews Found in Indonesia

Super Schnoz

Photograph courtesy Jake Esselstyn

The mossy forest shrew, such as this individual pictured in April on Sulawesi, is among the previously known neighbor species of the four potentially new shrews found in Indonesia.

Among the tiniest mammals, shrews "live fast and die young," according to the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation.

Some shrews have heartbeats that can race up to 1,200 beats a minute, the conservation group says.

(See "Largest Elephant Shrew Discovered in Africa.")

Published July 27, 2011

Nontoxic Shrew

Photograph courtesy Jake Esselstyn

A new, unnamed species of white-toothed shrew walks across a fallen log on Indonesia's Mount Tompotika in April.

Some shrew species have venomous saliva that helps them subdue prey—but not the newfound animals, Esselstyn said.

(See video: "Venomous 'Giant Shrew' Caught on Film.")

Published July 27, 2011

Stretched-Out Shrew

Photograph courtesy Jake Esselstyn

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.

(See "Moles, Shrews Can Smell Prey While Underwater, Study Suggests.")

Published July 27, 2011

Isolated Jungle

Photograph by Paul Chesley, National Geographic

Much of Sulawesi is highly isolated and little studied. The April survey increased the number of species known to exist only on Tompotika to about ten, including the presumed new shrews, a snake, three frogs, and three geckos. (See pictures: "'Lost World' of New Species Found in Indonesia.")

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.

More: Get one scientist's take on why shrews are interesting >>

Published July 27, 2011