The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

123
Distribution outside Nepal
Bangladesh, India (Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West
Bengal and possibly Madhya Pradesh).
Main Threats
• Habitat loss and fragmentation due to grassland
succession, overgrazing and uncontrolled
burning of the grasslands during the dry
season.
Conservation Measures in Place
The Hispid Hare occurs in lowland protected areas
and in Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve its habitat
needs are considered in the grassland
management programmes.
79) Chimarrogale himalayica
(Gray, 1842)
Common Names
Himalayan Water Shrew (English); Pahadi Pani
Chhuchundro (Nepali)
Synonyms
Crossopus himalayicus (Gray, 1842)
Conservation Recommendations
i) Conduct extensive camera trap and sign surveys
to determine the status of the species in all potential
grasslands in protected areas.
ii) Undertake a feasibility study on a captive
breeding programme to help re-establish
populations as is being undertaken for the Pygmy
Hog in Assam, India.
iii) Based on the survey results, develop a species
action plan.
iv) Develop and implement rotational patch burning
using effective fire breaks with no late dry season
burning to ensure there is adequate grass cover for
the species in its potential grassland habitats.
References
Bell 1987, Bell et al. 1990, Oliver 1985, Yadav et al. 2008,
Wildlife Information Network 2009, Aryal and Yadav 2010.
Species Description
Dense waterproof blue-grey coat with silver guard
hairs towards the rump. Small eyes and reduced ears
closed by a flap when diving. Long white bristles on
its feet and nose, whiskers thicker at the base, long
black tail with white hair fringes.
Species Ecology
The Himalayan Water Shrew is semi-aquatic,
associated with streams in temperate evergreen
forests and mainly feeds on aquatic insect larvae.
Little is known about the reproductive parameters
of the species.
Conservation Status
Global: Least Concern
National: Endangered B2ab(ii,iii)
Rationale for assessment: The Himayalan Water
Shrew (Chimarrogale himalayica) has been nationally
assessed as Endangered under criterion B in view of
a small and declining area of occupancy estimated
less than 500 km 2 within only five locations. Human
disturbances, uncontrolled waste management,
pollution of wetland habitat and natural disasters
such as landslides and floods continue to cause
declines in this species habitat area and quality. The
indiscriminate persecution of small mammals as
pest species is also thought to be causing continued
decline of the population. Although this species