Ruwenzori otter shrew

The Ruwenzori otter shrew ( Micropotamogale ruwenzorii ), also called medium - otter shrew is a small mammal belonging to the family of tenrecs ( Tenrecidae ), the only East African Rwenzori Mountains on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, the Congolese Itombwe Mountains and occurs on the west bank of the Kiwusees.

Features

The Ruwenzori otter shrew reaches a head-body length of 16 to 17 cm and a weight of 130 to 150 g Add to that the 13 to 15 cm long tail. Her figure is shrew -like with a broad, flat head. Eyes and ears are very small, roundish, closable ears protrude only slightly from the fur. The nostrils are closed off by a heart-shaped horn flap with vertical central groove. The muzzle is covered with numerous, very long whiskers. The soft fur is dark brown to gray- brown on the dorsal side, the belly is gray. It consists of a very dense undercoat and short, firm awns. The legs are short, the first and fifth finger or toe the same length and significantly shorter than the fingers or toes 2 to 4 fingers and toes are connected by webbing, its outer edge and the hand inside edge feature a hem stiff, bristly hairs occupied. The second and third toes are fused together. The tail is in contrast to that of the dwarf otter shrew ( M. lamottei ) flattened laterally and vertically oval in cross section.

Way of life

The Ruwenzori otter shrew lives in ditches, streams and in swamps up to altitudes of 2200 m, eats worms, insects, crustaceans, small fish and anurans, which it hunts mainly at night. Smaller prey is eaten in the water, larger, such as fish and freshwater crabs consumed on land. Crabs are turned over and eaten by the ventral side. Crabs with a carapace width of more than 5 cm are avoided because of the scissors. During slow swimming front and rear legs are alternately used during fast swimming all four limbs simultaneously. Dives do not last long. The Ruwenzori Otter Shrew builds programs with ausgepolstertem boiler end up in the banks of the waters in which they rest during the day. She spends a lot of time grooming. Not much is known about the reproduction. A -studied females carried two embryos.

System

Within the otherwise occurring only on Madagascar tenrecs together with the dwarf Otter Shrew and the Great Otter Shrew ( Potamogale velox ) the Ruwenzori otter shrew is the subfamily of the otter shrews ( Potamogalinae ).

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