Small-eared shrews (Mammalia, Cryptotis) in the Neotropical region

Study Extent

Description: Neotropical countries, from Mexico to Peru. Coordinates: -5.7001 and 27.1672 Latitude; -105.6843 and to -67.0834 Longitude.

Sampling

Occurrence data were obtained from four primary sources (see Step description). For scientific collecting, we combined Sherman traps and pitfall traps. The localities were georeferenced in the field using global positioning systems. All scientific collecting was conducted under permits issued by the Mexican Government and prior authorization from the local authorities. We followed standard recommendations on specimen capture, sacrifice, and preparation of small mammals (Sikes et al., 2016).

Quality Control

All original records were curated to confirm species identification and verify temporal and spatial congruence. We eliminated duplicates and records in which it was impossible to verify the specimen's catalog number. The final species list was checked using the Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.7). Valid names were carefully reviewed and following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The collection date was separated into day, month, and year. The locality for each record was also scrutinized to check its congruence with the distribution of the species according to the literature examined. The decimal degrees georeferenced of the records were verified or obtained using Google Earth Pro 7.3.6.9796. Ambiguous localities or locations with insufficient information were kept without assigned georeferenced.

Method steps

1. Step one: Data collection. Specimen records were obtained from four main sources: natural history museums, public online databases, literature, and fieldwork. a) Natural History Museums: We reviewed specimens in the following 21 scientific collections from Colombia, Ecuador, México, and the United States: Quito, Ecuador). Fluid bodies, skins, skulls, and/or postcranial skeletons were reviewed to corroborate or determine the taxonomic identity and obtain or verify the collecting data and sex of specimens. b) Public online databases: We consulted data in public databases of the following scientific collections that house specimens of shrews from the Neotropical region: American Museum of Natural History (AMNH); National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (USNM), The University of Kansas, Natural History Museum (KU), British Museum of Natural History (BMNH); Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt (IAvH-M). We also consulted the Arctos online collection management information system, the database related to the project “Modelado de la distribución potencial de las musarañas (Mammalia, Soricidae)” from the Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, and the DataWebEcuador, a portal to access data of specimens from the collections of Ecuador. We also compare the information with what is available in Global Biodiversity Information Facility through a download on 8 April 2024 (https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.qtdnkn). c) Literature: We carefully reviewed the most recent literature to incorporate taxonomic and nomenclatural changes to the database. Additionally, we include new records that have not yet been digitized or are not still available in any database. d) Fieldwork: We carried out fieldwork aimed at the scientific collecting of shrews in nine states of Mexico: Chiapas, Colima, Estado de México, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz. Step two: Data integration. As mentioned in the Design Description sub-section, the taxonomy and nomenclature of small-eared shrews have changed intensively over the last two decades. Hence, the synonymy used by each researcher to identify the original work or identification was preserved. The taxonomic lists of the Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.7) and Woodman (2019) were used as the base to unify the nomenclature. A combination of .csv and .dbf files was initially used to compile and curate the records. All data were migrated into a database following the Darwin Core Standard containing 36 column labels.

1. Animalia
   common name: Animals rank: kingdom
2. Chordata
   common name: Chordates rank: phylum
3. Vertebrata
   common name: Vertebrates rank: subphylum
4. Mammalia
   common name: Mammals rank: class
5. Therya
   common name: Therian mammals rank: superclass
6. Eulipotyphla
   rank: order
7. Soricidae
   common name: Shrews rank: family
8. Blarinini
   rank: tribe
9. Cryptotis
   common name: Small-eared shrews rank: genus

Neotropical countries, from Mexico to Peru