Shrews of southern Africa
Some 4 genera and 17 species are found in southern Africa at present.
These are:
Myosorex Forest Shrews
4 spp (features: colour, tail length, size, palates)
- tails lack long bristles
- teeth have extra tiny premolar (I3/2 C1/2 P2/1 M3/3 = 32
Sunchus Dwarf Shrews
3 spp (features: measurements - CI and toothrow)
- very small (<70 mm HT)
- tail with long hairs sparse among short bristles
- associated with termitaria
Crocidura Musk Shrews
9 spp (CI and colour) - these overlap in ranges - up to 4 in some areas - and need microscopic work to sort out some species
- 4th upper unicuspid absent
Sylvisorex Climbing Shrews = within Sunchus on iNaturalist.
1 sp Zim-Moz
- no long hairs on tail
- tail long (as long as body)
- primitive teeth features (P3 and I)