371.

Mamfe White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura virgata

French: Crocidure a bande dorsale / German: Mamfe-WeiRRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Mamfe

Other common names: Mamfe Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura occidentalis virgata Sanderson, 1940,

Tinta (06° 15’N, 09° 31'E), Assumbo, Mamfe Division, Cameroon.

Phylogenetic placement of C. virgata is uncertain, but it might be related to C. hildegardeae, in which it was previously included. Form “vulcani” currently included under this species. Monotypic.

Distribution. S Nigeria and W Cameroon.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 61 mm, tail 40 mm, ear 10 mm, hindfoot 12 mm;

weight 7 g (one specimen). The Mamfe White-toothed Shrew is small. Dorsal pelage is pale chocolate-brown, and ventral pelage is grayish brown, gradually changing on

flanks between the two. Feet are pinkish gray, and hindfeet are short and well covered with hair. Tail is ¢.65% of head-body length, hairy, and pale chocolate-brown. Skull is slightly smaller than in Hildegarde’s White-toothed Shrew and has shorter and slenderer rostrum. I' are small. There are three unicuspids. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 52 and FN = 86.

Habitat. Dry habitats in mountain grass/open forest at elevations of ¢.850 m and in the crater of Bibundi on Mout Cameroon.

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 Least Concern on The IUCNRed List. The Mamfe White-toothed Shrew might be threatened by deforestation from logging and land conversion, although virtually nothing is known aboutits natural history and population status.

Bibliography. Happold (1987), Happold & Hutterer (2013a), Hutterer & Happold (1983), Hutterer & Joger (1982), Kennerley (2016n), Meylan & Vogel (1982), Riegert et al. (2008), Schlitter et al. (1999).