Congo shrews

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Congo shrews
Systematics
Subclass : Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Insect eater (Eulipotyphla)
Family : Shrews (Soricidae)
Subfamily : Myosoricinae
Genre : Congo shrews
Scientific name
Congosorex
Heim de Balsac & Lamotte , 1956

The Congo shrews ( Congosorex ) are a genus of shrews that occur in Central and East Africa.

These shrews are physically similar to the closely related African wood shrews , as their subgenus they were previously listed. Their fur is brownish in color. Little is known about the way of life of these animals, their habitat are rainforests.

There are three types:

  • The little Congo shrew ( Congosorex bescheyeni ) was not scientifically described until 2002 and is known from eleven specimens that were found in the Republic of the Congo and in the Central African Republic . This species reaches a head body length of around 60 millimeters, a tail length of around 20 millimeters and a weight of around 7 grams.
  • The Congo greater shrew ( Congosorex polli ) is only known from a single specimen that was found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1950s . It is slightly larger than C.hexeni and has a longer tail. The degree of endangerment of this species is not known, the IUCN lists it under “insufficient data” ( data deficient ).
  • Phillips Congo shrew ( Congosorex phillipsorum ) was only described as a new species in 2005. It is endemic in the Ndundulu Forest in the Udzungwa Mountains in Tanzania and is considered “ critically endangered ” according to the IUCN .

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • Rainer Hutterer , Patrick Barrière, Marc Colyn: A new myosoricine shrew from the Congo Basin referable to the forgotten genus Congosorex (Mammalia: Soricidae). In: Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. Biology. Vol. 71, Supplement, 2002, ISSN  0374-6429 , pp. 7-16.
  • Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

Web links

Commons : Congosorex  - collection of images, videos and audio files