Eurasian Water Shrew – Neomys fodiens

Neomys fodiensPennant, 1771

Accepted name,

Includes orientis and watasei as possible subspecies (Hoffmann, 1987; Ognev, 1928; Yudin, 1989). Many of the listed synonyms have never been properly studied and identified and a meaningful subspecific division of the species is not possible yet. Recently, Lehmann (1983) referred constrictus to Crocidura russula. The form niethammeri from NE Spain may represent a valid species (Bühler, 1996; López-Fuster et al., 1990). Neomys newtoni Hinton, 1911 is regarded as an extinct Pleistocene species; see Rzebik-Kowalska (1998). Neomys intermedius Brunner, 1952 was identified as a chronosubspecies of N. fodiens by Schaefer (1973); the name, however, is not available. Karyotypes of N. fodiens from Sweden to Mongolia were consistantly 2n = 52, FN = 98 (Zima et al., 1998).