CR

Nicobar Shrew

Crocidura nicobarica

Declining

Overview

The Nicobar shrew or Nicobar white-tailed shrew is a critically endangered species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Great Nicobar Island in India.

The Nicobar shrew faces severe threats from habitat destruction across its extremely limited range in the Nicobar Islands. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated much of its coastal and lowland forest habitat, while ongoing deforestation for agriculture and development continues to fragment remaining populations. Its restriction to small islands makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental catastrophes and human encroachment.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits tropical forests, coastal vegetation, and agricultural areas across the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. It occupies both primary and secondary forest habitats from sea level to low elevations.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protection

Other threatened species in SORICIDAE

Eisentraut's ShrewVU

Eisentraut's Shrew

Crocidura eisentrauti

Stable
Macow's ShrewEN

Macow's Shrew

Crocidura macowi

Unknown
VU

Phu Quoc White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura phuquocensis

Unknown
CR

Nelson's Small Eared Shrew

Cryptotis nelsoni

Stable

Threatened in India

EN

Khaire's Black Shieldtail

Melanophidium khairei

Unknown
Nilgiri Dancing FrogVU

Nilgiri Dancing Frog

Micrixalus phyllophilus

Declining
Indian Star TortoiseVU

Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

Declining
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Nicobar Shrew classified as Critically Endangered?
Nicobar 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. The Nicobar shrew faces severe threats from habitat destruction across its extremely limited range in the Nicobar Islands. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated much of its coastal and lowland forest habitat, while ongoing deforestation for agriculture and development continues to fragment remaining populations. Its restriction to small islands makes it particularly vulnerable to environmental catastrophes and human encroachment.
Where does Nicobar Shrew live?
Nicobar 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 Nicobar Shrew?
The main threats to Nicobar 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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