Myosorex zinki

Order: Lipotyphla > Family: Soricidae > Genus: Myosorex > Species: Myosorex zinki

Common Name: Kilimanjaro Mouse Shrew [English]

Type Description

Heim de Balsac, H., and M. Lamotte. 1956. Evolution et phylogenie des Soricides africaines. Mammalia, 20:140-167.

Type Locality

Tanzania, Mt. Kilimanjaro, SE slope, 3,700 m.

Measurements

Total length: 118-137 mm
Head and body: 50-105 mm
Tail length: 29-56 mm
Hindfoot length: 15-18 mm
Ear length: 6-9 mm
Weight: 14-19.5 g

Description

Myosorex is recognizable by the long claws, short tail and very large penis in males. The feet are scaled and the fur has a speckled look to it. Mouse-shrews are generally restricted to mountain forest habitats.

Distribution

Endemic to the upper reaches of Kilimanjaro Mountain, Myosorex zinki is widely distributed throughout forest, heathland, moorland, and the edge of the alpine desert along the elevational gradient, ranging from 2470 to 4000 m. (Kingdon, 1984) (Stanley, 2005)

Key References

1. Kingdon, J. 1984. East African mammals: An atlas of evolution in Africa. (Insectivores and Bats). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2A:74-78.
2. Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon field guide to African mammals, AP Natural World Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, p. 142-144.
3. Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1:202-203, 217-218.