Scutisorex

Armored shrew ( Scutisorex somereni ), preparation and skeleton exhibited in Zurich Paleontological Museum

Scutisorex is occurring in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo and in Uganda and Rwanda shrew species. The species-poor genus consists only of the armored shrew ( Scutisorex somereni ) and Scutisorex thori, which was not described until 2013.

Features

The two Scutisorex species are relatively large shrews and reach head hull lengths of 12 to 15 centimeters with a seven- to 10.5 -inch-long tail and weighing up to 110 grams. A characteristic feature of the genus is the increased lumbar spine in which the vertebrae are not only connected to each other, as in most vertebrates, by lateral extensions, but also by dorsal ( towards the back, lying ) and ventral ( ventral -directed) processes. The feature of enhanced lumbar spine is more strongly developed in the armored shrew than Scutisorex thori. The armored shrew has a lumbar spine formed from ten to eleven vertebrae, whereas it consists in Scutisorex thori of eight and in most other mammals from five vertebrae.

Due to the enhanced spine of the back is extremely agile and strong at the same time durable. This allows the animals likely to access food sources that are inaccessible to other animals. It was observed that the shrews to press between the stem and the leaf bases of palms and there captured beetle larvae.

System

Scutisorex belongs to the subfamily of white tooth or eyelash shrews ( Crocidurinae ), where it is regarded as sister species of all other white tooth shrew or heard together with the genera Ruwenzorisorex, Sylvisorex, Suncus to a clade within the white tooth shrew.