Dr. Fűköh Levente szerk.: Malakológiai Tájékoztató 11. (Eger, 1992.)

H. K. Mienis: Additional notes concerning prédation on landsnails by White-toothed shrews in Israel

Additional notes concerning prédation on landsnails by White-toothed shrews in Israel H. K. Mienis All records of prédation on landsnails by White-toothed shrews (Crocidura spec.) in Israel are enumerated. In the wake of new information all cases of prédation are attributed to the Lesser white-toothed shrew: Crocidura suaveolens, instead of to the (Greater) White-toothed shrew: Crocidura russula. Several years ago Mienis (1987) published four cases of prédation on terrestrial snails by White-toothed shrews in the neighbourhood of Kibbutz Netzer Sereni, Israel. In addition he identified the snails eaten by the same Crocidura species as reported by Rotery (1982 & 1983). A find of a landsnail in a pellet of a Barn owl: Tyto alba, in Kibbutz Netzer Sereni was also tracked down to a case of prédation by a shrew (Meinis, 1991). In all these cases the shrews were assigned to Crocidura russula. At least all the White-toothed shrews found in pellets of Barn owls and collected in Kibbutz Netzer Sereni in 1977-1979 were identified by Harrison (in litt.) as belonging to Crocidura russula monacha. The latter is also considered the most common species among the three White-toothed shrews supposed to occur in Israel (Harrison, 1964; Mendelssohn & Yom-Tov, 1987). However, Catzeflis et al. (1985) have pointed out that Crocidura russula is a Western European species. Moreover they proved that the countries bordering the Eastern Mediterranean are inhabited by two species only: Crocidura leucodon and the rather polymorphic Crocidura suaveolens. Since all our material is far too small for C. leucodon, it is reassigned to the Lesser white-toothed shrew: C. suaveolens. Consequently all records of pedation on landsnail by (Greater) White-toothed shrews: C. russula, in Israel as reported by Rotery (1982 & 1983) and Mienis (1987 & 1991), are attributed here to the Lesser white-toothed shrew: C. suaveolens. In the meantime several additional cases of prédation on landsnails by this shrew could be recorded. All cases are enumerated in table 1. Table 1. Records of snails preyed upon by Crocidura suaveolens in Israel Prey species 1. Theba pisana 2. Tlieba pisana 3. Monacha Imifaensis 4. Helix engaddensis juv. Monacha haifaensis 5. Euchondrus cf. ovularis 6. Monacha haifaensis 7. Theba pisana Xeropicta vestalis joppensis Monacha haifaensis Locality Date Reference/Remarks 7 Netzer Sereni Netzer Sereni Netzer Sereni Netzer Sereni Netzer Sereni Netzer Sereni ; j 5. I. 1982. 6. III. 1982. 8. XI. 1982. 20. XI. 1982. 23. II. 1991. 21. III. 1991. )tery (1982., 1983.) Mienis (1987) Mienis (1987) Mienis (1987) Mienis (1987) Mienis (1991) under cardboard in Avocado-orchard