CRCritically Endangered

Jenkin's Shrew

Crocidura jenkinsi

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenkins's_shrew

Overview

Jenkins's shrew is a critically endangered species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to South Andaman Island in India.

Crocidura jenkinsi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes and human encroachment. Deforestation and conversion of native vegetation to cropland have fragmented the remaining suitable habitat, while climate change may further reduce available microhabitats essential for this small mammal's survival.
Threat summary

Habitat

This critically endangered shrew inhabits tropical moist forests and forest edges in northeastern India, particularly in areas with dense understory vegetation and leaf litter. The species appears to prefer humid microhabitats within primary and secondary forest ecosystems at moderate elevations.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in SORICIDAE

Eisentraut's Shrew

Crocidura eisentrauti

Stable

Macow's Shrew

Crocidura macowi

Unknown

Phu Quoc White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura phuquocensis

Unknown

Nelson's Small Eared Shrew

Cryptotis nelsoni

Stable

Threatened in India

Khaire's Black Shieldtail

Melanophidium khairei

Unknown

Nilgiri Dancing Frog

Micrixalus phyllophilus

Declining

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

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Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Jenkin's Shrew classified as Critically Endangered?

Jenkin's Shrew is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Crocidura jenkinsi faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local environmental changes and human encroachment. Deforestation and conversion of native vegetation to cropland have fragmented the remaining suitable habitat, while climate change may further reduce available microhabitats essential for this small mammal's survival.

Where does Jenkin's Shrew live?

Jenkin's Shrew occurs in India. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Jenkin's Shrew?

The main threats to Jenkin's Shrew are 10.2, 5.3, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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