Myosorex varius
Myosorex varius | |
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Drawing of M. varius | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Eulipotyphla |
Family: | Soricidae |
Genus: | Myosorex |
Species: | M. varius
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Binomial name | |
Myosorex varius (Smuts, 1832)
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Forest shrew range |
The forest shrew (Myosorex varius) is a species of
Description
The forest shrew grows to a length around 12.5 cm (5 in) with a tail of 4.3 cm (1.7 in) and an average mass of about 12 g (0.4 oz). In KwaZulu-Natal and the Drakensberg region, the males are larger than the females, but in the Cape Colony, the sexes are of similar sizes. This shrew is covered in short, dense fur, dark grey or brown above and paler underneath.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The forest shrew is native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. In upland areas, it is often the commonest small mammal, but it is less common in coastal areas. It is found in a wide range of primary and secondary habitats, including forests, grassland, scrub, semidesert, karoo, and fynbos.[1]
Biology
The forest shrew excavates a shallow burrow or takes over the burrow of another small mammal. The complex of passages has several entrances and a nesting chamber containing dry grasses. These shrews are territorial and a breeding pair of shrews is often found in a nest.[3]
The forest shrew is mainly nocturnal and is an
The breeding season varies across the forest shrew's range. In some areas, breeding takes place all year round, but in others, it is correlated with the higher rainfall which occurs in the summer, while unusually wet weather at other times of year can spark further reproductive activity.[4]
The forest shrew often contains the
Feeding as it does on small invertebrates, the forest shrew tends to accumulate any environmental contaminants in its tissues. Earthworms are known to bioaccumulate lead and the levels of lead in forest shrews are found to rise when they eat contaminated earthworms. This enables the shrews to be used as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution.[6]
Status
The
References
- ^ a b c d e "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2018-10-28.
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b c Joseph, Jency (2011). "Myosorex varius: forest shrew". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- )
- .
- S2CID 31190285.