Additional Records of Small Mammals Collected from Nepal

Abstract

Small mammals were surveyed in areas of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Shey Phoksundo National Park, and the Manaslu Conservation Area between 2013 and 2015. We collected 117 specimens representing 10 species of small mammals from two orders, Soricomorpha and Rodentia. We report on localities sampled from Central Nepal expanding known distributions and reporting new sampling localities for Apodemus gurkha Thomas, 1924; Apodemus pallipes (Barrett-Hamilton, 1900); Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758; Niviventer fulvescens (Gray, 1847); Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758); Rattus pyctoris (Hodgson, 1845); Rattus nitidus (Hodgson, 1845); and Soriculus nigrescens (Gray, 1842). Specimens collected from the Manaslu Conservation Area, which had not been previously surveyed, documented the occurrence of four species between previously known collection localities in the Kali Gandaki Valley and the Langtang and Khumbu valleys. Distribution records of Episoriculus soluensis Gruber, 1969 in Nepal are clarified for this recently recognized species.