New Shrew Species Discovered by Wildlife Researchers in Vietnam

An article published in a recent issue of the journal ZooKeys details the discovery of a new shrew species in Vietnam.

Apparently, ordinary folks will have to take the researchers' word for it that Vietnamese forests are home to four shrew varieties, and not just three as it was previously believed.

This is because the recently discovered one, named Crocidura sapaensis, looks strikingly similar to all the other ones.

As Mongabay explains, researchers only figured out the fact that they were dealing with a new species with the help of tests that allowed them to look into the genetic make-up of these animals.

“We came across an undescribed fourth species revealed by molecular analysis,” specialist Paulina Jenkins explains.

Wildlife researchers say that shrews are some of the smallest non-flying animals in the world. They are omnivorous, meaning that they feed on seeds, fruit and invertebrates.