370.

Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura hildegardeae

French: Crocidure de Hildegarde / German: Hildegarde-WeiRRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Hildegarde

Other common names: Hildegarde's Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura hildegardeae Thomas, 1904,

Fort Hall, Kenya.

Crocidura hildegardeae seems to be basal to a large clade including C. cyanea, C. silacea, C. batesi, C. foxi, C. buettikoferi, C. theresae, C. grandiceps, and C. wimmeri, with only C. mariquensis being more basal within this clade. This large clade is sister to a clade including C. crenata, C. fuscomurina, C. crosset, C. jouvenetae, and C. lusitania . Crocidura virgata is recognized as a distinct species

here based on its distinct chromosome number. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Cameroon, S Central African Republic, N Republic of the Congo, N & E DR Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, W Kenya, and Tanzania, and as well as a single record each from S South Sudan and SW Ethiopia; distributional limits of Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrew are still uncertain.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 64-77 mm, tail 39-56 mm, ear 8-11 mm, hindfoot 12-14 mm; weight 4-6-7-7 g. Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrew is medium-sized, with rather prominent ears and short fur. Males are usually larger, on average, than females. Dorsal pelage is chocolate-brown (individual hairs are chocolate-brown with dark brown tips), and ventral pelage is pale brown. Forelimbs are chocolate-brown, and hindlimbs are dark brown on outer sides and yellowish brown on inner sides. Tail is ¢.70% of head-body length, barely hairy, and slightly bicolored, being blackish above and brown below. There are three unicuspids. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 52 and FN = 76 in Burundi.

Habitat. Dry and wet montane and highland forests and moderately disturbed and undisturbed montane forests. Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrews have also been reported in cultivated areas and moist savannas in Rwanda.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Reproductive activity of Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrews has been recorded in July and August, with pregnancy rates of 25% and 50%, respectively. Embryo countis two embryos/female based on three pregnant females.

Activity patterns. Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrew is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrew has a wide distribution, faces no major threats, and is considered common throughout much ofits distribution.

Bibliography. Demeter & Hutterer (1986), Hutterer & Jenkins (2016c), Oguge et al. (2004), Schlitter et al. (1999), Setzer (1956), Stanley (2013b), Stanley, Goodman & Kihaule (1998), Stanley, Kihaule et al. (1998), Swynnerton & Hayman (1951), Vogel et al. (2013), Yalden et al. (1996).