Surdisorex is a genus of mammals in the family Soricidae. Surdisorex is one of three genera of African shrews, which, in turn, are one of three living subfamilies of shrews. Species in the genus Surdisorex are called African mole shrews because of their similarity to moles, to which they are not closely related.

Surdisorex
Surdisorex polulus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Soricidae
Subfamily: Myosoricinae
Genus: Surdisorex
Thomas, 1906
Type species
Surdisorex norae
Thomas, 1906

The genus Surdisorex represents Kenya's only endemic genus of mammal. Prior to the description of the Mount Elgon mole shrew (Surdisorex schlitteri), the genus included two species from the highlands of central Kenya; the Aberdare mole shrew (S. norae) restricted to the Aberdare Range and the Mount Kenya mole shrew (S. polulus) restricted to Mount Kenya.[1]

Species

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The three species, all found only in Kenya, are:

References

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  1. ^ Kerbis Peterhans, J.; Stanley, W. T.; Hutterer, R.; Demos, T. C.; Agwanda, B. (2009). "A new species of Surdisorex Thomas, 1906 (Mammalia, Soricidae) from western Kenya". Bonner Zoologische Beiträge. 56:175–183. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)