7. Black-backed Shrew Mole Uropsilus atronates French: Taupe a croupe noire / German: Schwarzriicken-Spitzmausmaulwurf / Spanish: Topo musarana de dorso negro Taxonomy. Rhynchonax andersoni atronates G. M. Allen, 1923, “Mu-cheng, Salween drainage, southwestern Yunnan, 7000 feet [= 2134 m] altitude,” China. Uropsilus atronates was formerly included in U. gracilis, but recent molecular data supportits status as a distinct species. Monotypic. Distribution. SW China (C Yunnan), restricted to region S of Dali and between Salween and Mekong rivers (Gengma County, Yongde Xueshan, and Wuliang Shan). Descriptive notes. There are no specific measurements available. Dorsum is dark brown; venter is dark slate. Snout is long, with cartilaginous tubular prolongation beyond forepart of skull. Dental formulais 12/1, C1/1,P 4/4, M 3/3 (x2) = 38. Habitat. Primary broad-leaved forests, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, and primary coniferous forests. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. The Black-backed Shrew Mole is terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List, whereit is considered a synonym of U. gracilis, which is classified as Least Concern. Bibliography. Allen (1938), Hoffmann (1984), Jiang Xuelong & Hoffmann (2013), Wan Tao etal. (2013).

Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Talpidae, pp. 52-619 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 598, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6678191