213.

Rainforest Shrew

Sylvisorex pluvialis

French: Pachyure des pluies / German: Korup-Waldmoschusspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de bosque lluvioso

Taxonomy. Sylvisorex pluvialis Hutterer & Schlitter, 1996,

Ikenge Research Station, Korup National Park, 160 m (05° 16’ N, 09° 08" E), South West Province, Cameroon.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from Korup National Park in SW Cameroon and Kongana in SW Central African Republic.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 74 mm, tail 67 mm, ear 8 mm, hindfoot 14 mm; weight 5 g (all measurements from a single individual). The Rainforest Shrew is medium-sized, with soft pelage. Dorsum is grayish brown (paler than other species of Sylvisorex), and venter is whitish gray, with white-tipped hair. Ears are small, rounded, and covered with short hair. Feet are pale compared with dorsum, and digits are slightly elongated. Tail is ¢.90% of head-body length and covered with short dark hair and a few longer bristle hairs. Skull is flat, and I' are comparatively small. There are four unicuspids, and third is large.

Habitat. Lowland tropical moist forest.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Rainforest Shrew has only been recorded from two localities. It occurs in Korup National Park, although the Park has experienced a large amount of forest loss due to an increase in human pressure and poor management. It might be threatened, but there are not enough data to evaluate its conservation status.

Bibliography. Gerrie & Kennerley (2016e), Happold (2013p), Heim de Balsac (1968b), Hutterer & Schlitter (1996), Ray & Hutterer (1996).