Johnston Wood Shrew
| Johnston Wood Shrew | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sylvisorex johnstoni | ||||||||||||
| ( Dobson , 1888) |
The Johnston wood shrew ( Sylvisorex johnstoni ) is a mammal in the order of insectivores .
features
With a head-to-trunk length of 45 to 53 mm, a tail length of 25 to 36 mm and a weight of 2.3 to 3.5 g, the Johnston wood shrew is one of the smallest species in the genus of the wood musk shrew . It has 8 to 12 mm long hind feet and 7 to 9 mm long ears. The top of this shrew is covered with light brown fur, which is clearly differentiated from the orange-brown underside. Very short hairs appear on the ears and tail, although the tail appears almost bare.
Distribution and way of life
The Johnston wood shrew is known from two separate areas in Africa . One population lives in the hill country near the Gulf of Guinea from Cameroon in the north to the Republic of the Congo in the south, including the island of Bioko . Another population occurs in the mountains in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on to Lake Victoria . This population resides in regions between 1000 and 2250 meters altitude. The extent to which the species occurs in the intermediate Congo Basin has not yet been adequately researched.
Rainforests and forests adjacent to lakes or rivers serve as habitats . These are mostly originally with a dense undergrowth. The species is one of the most common shrews in the region and represents between 13 and 60% of the local shrew community. It is also often found in the droppings of smaller predators . However, relatively little is known about the way of life. No fixed mating times are known for the Johnston wood shrew. On average, two offspring are born per litter.
status
The Johnston wood shrew is threatened by deforestation in limited areas. On the other hand, it occurs in several nature reserves. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
supporting documents
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Sylvisorex johnstoni ).
- ↑ a b Kingdon, Jonathan (Ed.): Mammals of Africa . A & C Black, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2254-9 , pp. 190-191 (English, Sylvisorex johnstoni ).
- ↑ a b c Sylvisorex johnstoni in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Hutterer, R. & Kerbis Peterhans, J., 2008. Accessed June 3, 2017th