Kihaule's mouse shrew

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Kihaule's mouse shrew
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Genus: Myosorex
Species:
M. kihaulei
Binomial name
Myosorex kihaulei
Stanley & Hutterer, 2000
Kihaule's Mouse Shrew area.png
Kihaule's mouse shrew range

Kihaule's mouse shrew (Myosorex kihaulei) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to Tanzania where it is known only from the Udzungwa Mountains, at the western end of the Eastern Arc Mountains. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and plantations. It is threatened by habitat destruction and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "endangered". It was named after Philip M. Kihaule, a medical-entomological technician, who considerably contributed to the documenting of the small mammals of Tanzania and collected the type specimen of this shrew. [2]

Contents

Description

Kihaule's mouse shrew has a head-and-body length of between 70 and 84 mm (2.8 and 3.3 in) and a tail length of between 36 and 46 mm (1.4 and 1.8 in). The dorsal fur is dark brown, the individual hairs having brownish-black bases and paler brown tips. The ventral fur is brown, but not such a rich shade as that of the Geata mouse shrew (Myosorex geata), which it otherwise resembles. The tubercles on the hind feet are large and rounded, and the claws are sturdy. The tail is about half the length of the combined head-and-body. [3]

Distribution and habitat

This shrew is endemic to Tanzania, and is only known from the Udzungwa Mountains, one of the ranges of the Eastern Arc Mountains, although some specimens of a species of Myosorex on Mount Rungwe might prove to be M. kihaulei. [1] At one time these mountains were part of a continuous belt of rainforest, but climate changes resulted in the lowland areas between the mountains becoming savannah, and the forest on each mountain range was separated from the neighbouring ranges, resulting in much endemism. [4] This shrew is found in moist montane forest, including swamp forest and areas of bamboo, at altitudes of over 1,400 m (4,600 ft). [1]

Status

Kihaule's mouse shrew is estimated to have a total area of occupation of 1,616 km2 (624 sq mi). This shrew is a common species in suitable habitats within its range, but it is threatened by deforestation as land is cleared for agricultural production. It is unclear whether it is able to adapt to live in degraded habitats such as secondary forest, although one individual was found in a tea plantation. Because of these factors, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "endangered". [1]

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African giant shrew Species of mammal

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Babaults mouse shrew Species of mammal

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<i>Myosorex</i> Genus of mammals

Myosorex is a mammal genus in the Soricidae (shrew) family. The genus, collectively referred to as the mouse shrews, contains these species:

Montane mouse shrew Species of mammal

The montane mouse shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Dark-footed mouse shrew Species of mammal

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Geata mouse shrew Species of mammal

The Geata mouse shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to Tanzania. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Long-tailed forest shrew Species of mammal

The long-tailed forest shrew, or long-tailed mouse shrew, is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and swamps.

Oku mouse shrew Species of mammal

The Oku mouse shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Schallers mouse shrew Species of mammal

Schaller's mouse shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Kilimanjaro mouse shrew Species of mammal

The Kilimanjaro mouse shrew is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae endemic to Tanzania. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and swamps.

Myosoricinae Subfamily of mammals

According to the current taxonomy, the Myosoricinae are a subfamily of shrews. As such, they form one of three main types of shrews, the other two being the red-toothed shrews and the white-toothed shrews. They are the only one of the three to be found exclusively south of the Sahara Desert, and so they have been described in English as the African shrews, but also many white-toothed shrews are in Africa and therefore this term is more generally used for shrews from Africa in general. The subfamily has three genera and 20 species:

Grey-faced sengi Species of elephant shrew

The grey-faced sengi is a species of elephant shrew that is endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains of south-central Tanzania. The discovery of the species was announced in January 2008; only 15 species of elephant shrew were known until then, and the last discovery was made more than 120 years ago. As the name implies, the species is characterised by a distinctive grey face and a black rump, as well as being larger than the other species of elephant shrews.

Sanje mangabey Species of Old World monkey

The Sanje mangabey is a highly endangered Old World monkey of the white-eyelid mangabey group from the Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania. They are about 50–65 centimetres (20–26 in) in length, excluding the tail, and their body colour is greyish. Fruit makes up about 70% of their diet. They live in valley forests and on mountain slopes, but are mostly ground-dwelling, which makes them susceptible to hunting and poaching. Their habitat is being degraded, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed their conservation status as being "endangered".

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kennerley, R. (2019). "Myosorex kihaulei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T45047A22287518. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T45047A22287518.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2009). The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 223. ISBN   978-0801893049.
  3. Kingdon, Jonathan; Happold, David; Butynski, Thomas; Hoffmann, Michael; Happold, Meredith; Kalina, Jan (2013). Mammals of Africa. A&C Black. pp. 155–156. ISBN   978-1-4081-8996-2.
  4. Briggs, Philip (2009). Northern Tanzania: The Bradt Safari Guide with Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 20–21. ISBN   978-1-84162-292-7.