392.

Heather White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura erica

French: Crocidure d’Angola / German: Graue Angola-WeiRRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de brezo

Other common names: Heather Shrew, Angolan White-toothed Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura erica Dollman, 1915,

Pungo Andongo, Angola.

Phylogenetic affinity of C. erica is uncer- tain, but it is cranially similar to C. hirta, of which it might be conspecific. Nevertheless, there is also evidence that it is closely related to C. nigricans, but additional research is needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from three localities in W Angola.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 96 mm,tail

54 mm, ear 8 mm, hindfoot 15 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Heather White-toothed Shrew is relatively large. Dorsum is pale gray, faintly washed with brown, and flanks are grayer, gradually merging into dull gray venter. Feet are grayish white. Tail is ¢.56% of head-body length, finely haired, and bicolored, being brown dorsally and grayish white ventrally. Second unicuspid is larger than third, M’ is medium-sized, and talonid of M,is reduced to a single cusp. There are three unicuspids.

Habitat. Holotype was collected at an elevation of 1098 m, but there is no information related to habitat preferences of the Heather White-toothed Shrew.

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. Virtually nothing is known of the Heather White-toothed Shrew. It is probably threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation from agricultural expansion.

Bibliography. Crawford-Cabral (1987), Dollman (1915d), Gerrie & Kennerley (2016r), Hill & Carter (1941).