Myosorex

South Africa - shrew ( Myosorex varius)

The African forest shrews ( Myosorex ) are one living in central and southern Africa shrew genus with about 15 species.

General

The fur of these shrews is soft and silky, its color varies from yellow brown to gray to black and gives a mottled appearance. With a body length of 60 to 110 millimeters and up to 23 grams in weight, they are among the smaller members of their family.

The distribution area of the African forest shrews ranges from Cameroon and Uganda to South Africa. Their habitat is humid forest and bush regions.

These animals can be diurnal as well as nocturnal. They build burrows, which they line with grasses and live solitary outside the breeding season. Their diet consists of insects, but also small mammals and birds.

Due to the destruction of their habitat several species are considered endangered. The IUCN lists two species, M. and M. eisentrauti rumpii as " threatened with extinction " ( critically endangered ).

The types

The genus of the African forest shrews contains 16 species. Congosorex and the mole shrews ( Surdisorex ), which were previously managed as subgenera, are today regarded as separate genera.

• Myosorex babaulti is known only from a few localities around the Lake Kivu and is considered endangered.
• Myosorex Blarina inhabited only the Ruwenzori Mountains.
• Myosorex cafer is spread from Zimbabwe and Mozambique to South Africa.
• Myosorex eisentrauti is endemic on the island of Bioko and is considered threatened with extinction.
• Myosorex Geata lives only in the southwestern Tanzania.
• Myosorex kabogoensis
• Myosorex kihaulei was first described scientifically in 2000 and is limited to southern Tanzania.
• Myosorex longicaudatus inhabited a small area near the South African town of Knysna.
• Myosorex meesteri
• Myosorex okuensis lives in a small area in Cameroon and is considered threatened.
• Myosorex rumpii is only known from a single specimen, which was discovered in Cameroon. The species is threatened with extinction.
• Myosorex schalleri is also known only from one specimen from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The degree of hazard of this type is not known.
• Myosorex sclateri lives in the South African province of KwaZulu -Natal.
• Myosorex tenuis is restricted to the north of South Africa. The taxonomic status of this species is not known exactly.
• Myosorex varius lives in southern Africa and is the most researched species of this genus.
• Myosorex Zinki is endemic in the regions around Mount Kilimanjaro and is considered endangered.