Coastal Pleurothyrium vs Flat-skulled Shrew

Pleurothyrium costanense compared with Sorex roboratus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Coastal Pleurothyrium	Flat-skulled Shrew
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Laurales (Laurales)	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)
Family	Lauraceae	Soricidae
Genus	Pleurothyrium	Sorex
Species	Pleurothyrium costanense	Sorex roboratus

Conservation Status

Coastal Pleurothyrium

LC — Least Concern

Flat-skulled Shrew

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Coastal Pleurothyrium	Flat-skulled Shrew
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Coastal Pleurothyrium

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Found in Venezuela.

Flat-skulled Shrew

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Coastal Pleurothyrium

Coastal pleurothyrium (Pleurothyrium costanense) is a tree in the family Lauraceae, native to the Pacific coastal forests of Costa Rica and adjacent Panama. It grows in tropical lowland rainforest and pre-montane forest habitats at elevations generally below 800 metres, where it forms part of the high canopy layer. The genus Pleurothyrium is characterised by alternate leaves with a leathery texture, small flowers borne in paniculate inflorescences, and fleshy fruits enclosed in a cupule—typical of the broader laurel family. As a member of the Lauraceae, the species likely plays a role in forest succession and provides fruits consumed by birds and mammals. Central American coastal forests are under pressure from deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching, but Pleurothyrium costanense is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating sufficient population size and distribution to withstand current threats. The species is part of the diverse laurel flora that defines Central American cloud forests and wet lowland ecosystems, and its conservation is linked to the broader protection of Costa Rican biodiversity hotspots.