Great Congo shrew

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Great Congo shrew
Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Insect eater (Eulipotyphla)
Family : Shrews (Soricidae)
Subfamily : Myosoricinae
Genre : Congo shrews ( Congosorex )
Type : Great Congo shrew
Scientific name
Congosorex polli
( Heim de Balsac & Lamotte , 1956)

The Congo greater shrew ( Congosorex polli ) is only known from a single specimen that was found in 1955 in the Kasai-Occidental province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It was first as members of the African Forest shrews ( Myosorex ) described and 1956 type species of the Congo shrews ( Congosorex ).

features

Large Congo shrews are small shrews with a short tail. The head-torso length of the only known specimen was 6 cm, the tail length was 2.4 cm. The animal was covered with a solid brown fur. The head is relatively long compared to the rest of the body. The eyes are small and hidden in the fur. The ears are small but larger than those of the Little Congo Shrew ( Congosorex veryeni ). The forefeet is short and the top is covered with large scales. The hind feet are short, have short claws and here too the upper side is covered by large scales. The short tail is covered with short, black hair along its entire length. The skull is short, the maxillary narrow, the orbit is large, and the skull is wide and appears inflated.

Way of life

Almost nothing is known about the way of life of these shrews. The only known specimen was found in a savannah that is interspersed with rainforest areas and gallery forests like a mosaic .

The endangerment level of the species is not known, the IUCN lists it under "insufficient data" ( data deficient ).

literature

  • Rainer Hutterer : Congosorex polli Greater Congo Shrew, page 52 in Meredith Happold and David Happold (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume IV. Hedgehogs, Shrews and Bats. Bloomsbury, London, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2254-9

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