PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 109(3);409-418. 1996. Taxonomic status of the enigmatic Cryptotis avia (Mammalia: Insectivora: Soricidae), with comments on the distribution of the Colombian small-eared shrew, Cryptotis colombiana Neal Woodman Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2454, U.S.A. (Present address) Department of Biology, Southwestern College, 100 College Street, Winfield, Kansas 67156-2499, U.S.A. Abstract. — Cryptotis avia G. M. Allen 1923, from the Eastern Andean Cor-dillera of Colombia, is a small-eared shrew previously known from, at most, five specimens. Review of the holotype, consisting of an understaffed skin and a partial skull, and three potential topotypes indicates that they are referable to Cryptotis thomasi Merriam, 1897, and C avia should be considered a junior synonym of that name. Cryptotis thomasi is restricted to highlands around Bogota in the Eastern Cordillera. Another specimen previously referred to C. avia is the second known specimen of Cryptotis colombiana Woodman & Timm 1993. This second record expands the known distribution of C colom-biana to include both the Central and Eastern Cordilleras of Colombia, and emphasizes a previous hypothesis that C colombiana also will be found in the Western Cordillera, geographically closer to its sister species {Cryptotis mera, Cryptotis nigrescens) in southern Central America. Resumen. — Cryptotis avia G. M. Allen 1923, de la Cordillera Oriental de Colombia, es una musaraiia conocida anteriormente de, a lo mas, cinco espe-cimenes. Estudio del holotipo, que consta de una piel poca rellenada y un cranio parcial, y tres posibles topotipos indica que todos son iguales a Cryptotis tho-masi Merriam 1897, y C avia es un sinonimo menor de C. thomasi. Cryptotis thomasi occurre solamente en las montanas alrededores de Bogota en la Cor-dillera Oriental. Otra especimen referida anteriormente a C. avia es en realidad la segunda especimen identificada de Cryptotis colombiana Woodman & Timm 1993. Este segundo registro amplia la distribucion de C. colombiana a las Cordilleras Central y Oriental de Colombia. Esta especie tambien debe ser encontrada en la Cordillera Occidental, la cual esta mas cerca geograficamente de las especies mas relacionadas {Cryptotis mera, Cryptotis nigrescens) en el sur de Centroamerica. Small-eared shrews of the genus Cryp-most taxonomic studies of the genus have totis are a relatively poorly studied group, been carried out on species in this region notwithstanding their wide distribution in (Choate 1970; Woodman & Timm 1992, North America, Central America, and the 1993). The most recent, comprehensive Andean highlands of South America. Cryp-compendium of mammalian species recog-totis reaches its greatest species diversity in nized 14 species of Cryptotis (Hutterer southern Mexico and Central America, and 1993), and subsequent studies have re-
Taxonomic status of the enigmatic Cryptotis avia (Mammalia: Insectivora: Soricidae), with comments on the distribution of the Colombian small-eared shrew, Cryptotis colombiana
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