337.

Rainey’s White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura raineyi

French: Crocidure de Rainey / German: Rainey-\ WeilRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Rainey

Other common names: Rainey's Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura raineyi Heller, 1912,

North Creek, Mount Garguez (= Warges), Kenya.

Genetic data are needed to determine the relationships with other Crocidura . Monotypic.

Distribution. Mt Gargues in the Matthews Range of C Kenya.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-92 mm, tail 59-65 mm, hindfoot 16 mm. No specific data are available for body weight (nor ear). Rainey’s White-toothed Shrew is a large shrew with grizzled brownish gray dorsal pelage and paler ventral pelage. Feet are very pale yellowish brown. Tail is relatively long (c.69% of head-body length), hairy, covered in longer bristle hairs, and bicolored, being brownish gray dorsally and whitish ventrally. Skull is mediums-sized with a narrow and low braincase; unicuspids are subequal and M?is robust. There are three unicuspids.

Habitat. Montane forests and creeks. It is thought that Rainey’s White-toothed Shrew may prefer dry forests. Elevational range ofthis species is unknown.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Rainey’s White-toothed Shrew is terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Rainey’s White-toothed Shrew is only known from twelve specimens, the last collected in 1911. Virtually nothing is known of Rainey’s White-toothed Shrew, but overgrazing of its habitat may be a threat.

Bibliography. Dippenaar & Meester (1989), Heim de Balsac & Meester (1977), Hutterer (2013v), Kennerley (2016h).