447.

Rumpi Mouse Shrew

Myosorex rumpii

French: Musaraigne des Rumpi / German: Rumpi-Mausspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana raton de Rumpi

Taxonomy. Myosorex eisentrauti rumpii Heim de Balsac, 1968,

Rumpi Hills, 1100 m, Cameroon.

Previously included in M. eisentrauti, but now generally recognized as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Rumpi Hills, SW Cameroon.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 84 mm, tail 35 mm, ear 10 mm, hindfoot 14 mm; weight 15 g. The Rumpi Mouse Shrew is a medium-sized shrew with soft, dense,

velvety pelage that has a silky sheen. Dorsum is dark blackish brown, the hairs dark gray for the basal two-thirds and blackish brown to dark chestnut brown terminally; ventral pelage is a paler blackish brown with a shot silk appearance, the hairs gray on basal two-thirds, reddish brown terminally. Feet are whitish with conspicuous brown scales and short blackish brown hairs dorsally; the claws are relatively long and sharp. Tail is short (¢.40% of head-body length) and uniformly blackish brown. There are four unicuspids. I' is moderately long and hooked and M? is Narrow.

Habitat. Known only from the type locality in the Rumpi Hills at elevations of¢.1100 m.

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 Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Rumpi Mouse Shrew is only known from the type specimen, collected in 1967. Research is needed.

Bibliography. Heim de Balsac (1968b), Hutterer (2013ac), Kennerley (20162).