383.

African Black White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura nigrofusca

French: Crocidure brun-noir / German: Schwarze Afrika-Weizahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarafa negra de Africa

Other common names: African Black Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura nigrofusca Matschie, 1895,

“ Wukalala, Kinyawanga im Westen des Semliki [= Semliki Valley, DR Congo].”

Placement and taxonomy of C. nigrofusca is largely uncertain, and careful systematic research is needed because it might represent a species complex. An allozyme study showed that C. nigrofusca clustered with C. hildegardeae, C. poensis, and C. theresae, although only 21 species from Africa and Europe were included. Monotypic.

Distribution. S South Sudan and S Ethiopia S through East Africa to N & E Angola and Zambia; it is also possible recorded from Cameroon, but this needs confirmation.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 65-95 mm, tail 55-72 mm, ear 9-1-9-9 mm, hindfoot 13:9-15-9 mm; weight 13-23-5 g. The African Black White-toothed Shrew is medium to large in size, with soft, dense, and silky sheened pelage. Dorsal pelage is very dark blackish brown or black (hairs are graybased with dark brown to blackish tips), and ventral pelage is similar but can slightly paler. Ears are darkly pigmented. Tail is ¢.75% of head-body length, black, and hairy, with longer bristle hairs throughout. Skull is elongated and smooth, braincase is ovalshaped in dorsal view, I' is short, and M? is medium-sized. There are three unicuspids. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FN = 78.

Habitat. Wide variety of moist forest habitats near water, such as secondary forest, forest patches, swampy regions in forest savanna mosaics, and montane forests, from lowlands up to elevations of ¢.2000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Mean litter size of the African Black White-toothed Shrew is 3-3 young.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The African Black White-toothed Shrew has a wide distribution and is considered abundant, with no major threats.

Bibliography. Ansell & Dowsett (1988), Cassola (2016aq), Heim de Balsac & Meester (1977), Hutterer (2013p), Hutterer, Van der Straeten & Verheyen (1987), Maddalena (1990), Oguge et al. (2004), Setzer (1956), Yalden et al. (1996).