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

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

Prey species Locality Date Reference/Rema rks 8. Monacha haifaensis Netzer Sereni 7. II. 1992 under cardboard in Avocado-orchard 9. Euchondrus septemdentatus „Nesher-Ramla" 26. III. 1992. in pitfall Monacha obstructura 10. Euchondrus septemdentatus „Nesher-Ramla" 19. IV. 1992. in pitfall Monacha obstructa The shrew caught in a pitfall near „Lesher-Ramla" on 19 April 1992 was taken home and kept for a few days in a terrarium. As food it was supplied with large numbers of small beetles and numerous snails: Helix aspersa (juveniles up to 20 nun in diameter), Tlteba pisana and Monaclui Imifaensis. All snails were readily tkan by the shrew. Most if not all were crushed on one and the same spot resulting in a mond of broken shells in one corner of the terrarium. According to these data the Lesser white-toothed shrew: Crocidura suaveolens, has to be considered an important natural enemy of grounddwelling landsnails in Israel. Sofar it has been recorded as a predator of seven different species under natural conditions and still an other one in captivity. The prey species are enumerated in table 2. Table 2. Systematic lists of landsnails preyed upon by Crocidura suaveolens in Israel Family Enidae 1. Euchondrus septemdentatus (Roth, 1839) 2. Euchondrus cf. ovularis (Olivier, 1801) (this is probably a still undescribed species) Family Helicidae 3. Helix aspersa Müller, 1774 (in captivity only) 4. Helix engaddensis Bourguignat, 1852. 5. Tlteba pisana (Müller, 1774) Family Hygromiidae 6. Xeropicta vestalis joppensis (Schmidt, 1885) 7. Monacha Imifaensis (Pallary, 1939) 8. Monacha obstructa (Pfeiffer, 1842) Other records of prédation on landsnails in Israel may be expected in the future. References Harrison, D.L. (1964): The mammals of Arabia. I. London. - p.: 192. Mendelssohn, H. & Yom-Tov, Y. (1987): Mammals. Plants and Animals of the Land of Israel - An illustrated Encyclopedia, Tel Aviv. - 7: 295 p. Mienis, H.K. (1987): Prédation on terrestrial snails by the White-toothed shrew in Israel. - Mitt. Zool. Ges. Braunau, 5 (1-4): 59-60. Mienis, H.K. (1991): Resten van een landslak in een braakbal van een kerkuil in Israel. - C.B. Ned. Malac. Ver., 261: 862-863.