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Variation and evolution of the Sicilian shrew 247

Emendation: Kotsakis (1986: 2) named the taxon after Dr. Daniela Esu; according to ar-
ticles 31 (a) and 32 (d) of the ICZN (1985), the name must be corrected to esuae (Hutterer
1990: 215).

Diagnosis: Large shrews with the characters of C. sicula and a very long tibia (Tab. 2) .

Distribution and materia!: Pleistocene of Spinagallo, Sicily, ltaly (Kotsakis 1986; Esu
et al. 1986; Bonfiglio & Kotsakis 1987; Caloi et al. 1988) and Ghar Dalam Cave, Malta (ca.
3080 SMF; 3 GDCM; 10 ZFMK).

Crocidura sicula sicula Miller, 1901

Crocidura sicula Miller, 1901: 41 (Palermo, Sicily).
Crocidura caudata Miller, 1901: 42 (Palermo, Sicily).

Diagnosis (modified from Vogel et al. 1989): A medium-sized shrew in the size range of C.
suaveolens and C. russula, in genera! sharply bicoloured with a whitish undersurface but
sometimes washed with grey, whitish fore- and hindfeet, and a bico!oured tail. Rostrum of
skull rather flat and slender but bimaxillary region broad as in C. russula. Infra-orbital bridge
narrow. Tips of the second and third upper unicuspid teeth usually in one line with the tip
of the parastyle of the P4; parastyle massive and angular like a brick (Fig. 2), dorsal edge of
the cingulum of P4 undulated, not straight; third upper molar narrow. Largest of the extant
subspecies.

Distribution and materia!: Sicily, ltaly (22 CNB; 3 IZEA; 14 SMF; 3 ZFMK).
Specimens found in owl pellets from Ustica are probably not autochthonous but may have
been brought by owls from Sicily (Sarà et al. 1990).

Crocidura sicula aegatensis n. subsp.

Holotype: ZFMK 89.392, skin and skull of adult male, collected 23 March 1969 by F.
Krapp, field number 35 / 69; Egadi Islands, Marettimo, Casa Sarraceno. - Paratypes: 7 fur-
ther specimens, listed in detail by Krapp (1970), from Levanzo (l ZFMK) and Favignana (5
ZFMK; l MCV).

D i a gnosi s : A considerably small subspecies of C. sicula; weight and body size smaller, tail
and hindfoot shorter (Tab. 4); ali cranial distances smaller (Tab. 3); fourth upper molar ex-
tremely reduced (Tab. 2).

Distribution: Egadi Islands, Italy (see Krapp 1970, for details).

Etymology: Named for the ''Aegates lnsulae", as the Romans called these islands.

Crocidura sicula calypso n. subsp.

Holot y p e: ZFMK 89.418, adult male, preserved in alcohol, skull extracted, collected 22 Oc-
tober 1986 by S. Schembri and D. M. Johnson; Gozo (Malta), ls-Saqwi, Xlendi Valley. -
Paratypes: 34, ali from Gozo (Is-Saqwi, San Blas Valley, Xaghra, Munxar), collected
1981-1989 by M. Borg, D. M. Johnson, P. J. Schembri, S. Schembri, J. Sultana and P. Vogel
(2 CSM; 18 CNB; 9 IZEA; 20 ZFMK).

Diagnosis : Distinctly smaller than the nomina! subspecies, slightly larger than aegatensis
(Tabs 2-4). Third upper molar not as much reduced as in aegatensis (Tab. 2). The most col-
ourful extant subspecies; hands, feet, belly and undersurface of tail always whitish (figured
in Vogel et al. 1989, 1990).

Distribution and further materia!: Gozo (Malta); recently extinct populations of Malta
lsland (12 SMF) may a!so be referred to this taxon.

Etymology: Named for the beautiful nymph Ca!ypso, who, according to Greek mythology,
lived in a cave near Ramla Bay on Gozo. The subspecific epithet is a noun in apposition.