The forest shrews are the members of the genus Sylvisorex. They are mammals in the family Soricidae[1] and are found only in Africa. The genus name comes from the Latin world "silva" which means "forest" and "sorex", which means "shrew-mouse". This reflects the nature of these shrews, which prefer forest habitats. All shrews are carnivorous, and eat continually to satisfy their high metabolic rate.[2]
| Sylvisorex | |
|---|---|
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| |
| Lesser forest shrew (Sylvisorex oriundus) (lower image) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Subfamily: | Crocidurinae |
| Genus: | Sylvisorex Thomas, 1904 |
| Type species | |
| Crocidura morio | |
The genus contains these species:
- Akaibe's forest shrew, Sylvisorex akaibei
- Cameroonian forest shrew, Sylvisorex cameruniensis
- Corbet's forest shrew, Sylvisorex corbeti
- Grant's forest shrew, Sylvisorex granti
- Howell's forest shrew, Sylvisorex howelli
- Bioko forest shrew, Sylvisorex isabellae
- Johnston's forest shrew, Sylvisorex johnstoni
- Kongana shrew, Sylvisorex konganensis
- Moon forest shrew, Sylvisorex lunaris
- Mount Cameroon forest shrew, Sylvisorex morio
- Greater forest shrew, Sylvisorex ollula
- Lesser forest shrew, Sylvisorex oriundus
- Rain forest shrew, Sylvisorex pluvialis
- Bamenda forest shrew, Sylvisorex silvanorum
- Volcano shrew, Sylvisorex vulcanorum
References
edit- ^ Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Mukinzi, I.; Hutterer, R. & Barriere, P. 2009. A new species of Sylvisorex (Mammalia: Soricidae) from lowland forests north of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo. Mammalia 73 (2): 130–134.
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