MENSURAL DISCRIMINATION OF SOREX LONGIROSTRIS AND SOREX CINEREUS (INSECTIVORA, SORICIDAE) IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED-STATES

The effectiveness of univariate and multivariate statistics in disting uishing Sorex cinereus and S. longirostris from the southeastern Unite d States on the basis of standard body and cranial measurements was as sessed. Eleven of 15 characters in univariate comparisons showed signi ficant differences between species, but the range of measurements over lapped. Bivariate comparisons permit identification using external mea surements, cranial and external measurements combined, and cranial mea surements alone. Multivariate procedure's permitted maximum distinctio n of the species. A discriminant function model is presented to permit identification on the basis of three cranial characters.