ON THE INSECTIVORE FAUNA OF QINGHAI-XIZANG(CHINHAI-TIBETAN)PLATEAU, CHINA

So far as the authors know,the insectivore fauna of Qinghai-Xizang plateau area comprises 2 families, 8 genera and 19 species, occupying approximately one-third of the total number of species of insectivores in China.Species considered as belonging primarily to the Palaearctic realm and to the Oriental realm occupy 21.1% and 78.9% respectively. Approximately two-thirds of the species are endemic or confine their distribution to China and mainly occur in the Himalayan-Meridian Mountain Region. This figure shows that the Region ought to be considered as a region of origination and preservation of this primitive and small-sized mammalian group. Accounts of some species and comments are given in the text.