Diplomesodon
Diplomesodon
a genus of mammals of the family Soricidae. The sole species is the piebald shrew (D. pulchellum). The body length is 5-7 cm, and the tail length is 2.5-3 cm. The body is covered with short, thick hairs. The coloration is white below and ash gray above, with an oval patch of white on the back. The piebald shrew is found only in the USSR—in Kazakhstan and Middle Asia. It inhabits sandy deserts and is active at night. The diet consists of insects and small vertebrates. A litter contains as many as five young. The piebald shrew is not numerous anywhere in its area of distribution.