SORICIDAE G. Fischer, 1814

Amori, Giovanni, Segniagbeto, Gabriel Hoinsoude, Decher, Jan, Assou, Delagnon, Gippoliti, Spartaco & Luiselli, Luca, 2016, Non-marine mammals of Togo (West Africa): an annotated checklist, Zoosystema 38 (2), pp. 201-244 : 231-232

Family SORICIDAE G. Fischer, 1814

REMARK

Species belonging to this family are often traded for traditional medicine in fetish markets across Togo ( Fig. 30 ).

Crocidura crossei Thomas, 1895 ▶

VOUCHERS. — Three specimens, captured at Ezimé and Agou are currently stored in the NMNH.

Crocidura foxi Dollman, 1915 ▶

HISTORICAL LITERATURE. — Present in northern Togo ( Duplantier & Granjon 2013a; IUCN; 2014). Recorded also from Benin, at the border with Togo (Nicolas et al. 2010) and from Apesokubi just across the border in the Volta Region of Ghana (Decher & Abedi-Lartey 2002).

Crocidura fuscomurina (Heuglin, 1865) ▶

HISTORICAL LITERATURE. — Matschie (1893b) recorded this species (as Crocidura bovei Dobson, 1887 ) at Bismarckburg (Adéle), in the ecological zone IV. Heim de Balsac (1958) also mentions the Bismarckburg specimen as Crocidura bicolor Bocage, 1889 with a lateral view of the skull. This species was also reported for the country by IUCN (2014) and Dippenar & Basker (2013), and indirectly by Hutterer (2005). It was found also in West Benin at Gotcha and Laugba (Nicolas et al. 2010). Hurst et al. (1995) reported a specimen as C. foxi Dollman, 1915 from Kyabobo National Park on the Ghana side, a park that is continuous with Fazao Malfakassa National Park, but it was later re-identified by R. Hutterer (ZFMK) as C. fuscomurina ( Grubb et al. 1998) .

Crocidura grandiceps Hutterer, 1983 ▶

VOUCHERS. — Two specimens, collected in 1968 by the African Mammal Project at Agou, are presently stored at the NMNH.

Crocidura lamottei Heim de Balsac, 1968 ▶

HISTORICAL LITERATURE. — Reported for the whole of the country by IUCN (2014), Jenkins & Churchfield (2013), and indirectly by Hutterer (2005). An individual record was reported by Hutterer (1986) from Sokodé.

Crocidura olivieri (Lesson, 1827) ▶

HISTORICAL LITERATURE. — This species was recorded from Apesokubi and Liati Wote (Decher & Abedi-Lartey 2002) and from Kyabobo National Park ( Hurst et al. 1995) all in the Volta Region of Ghana.

VOUCHERS. — Six specimens, captured in 1968 by the African Mammal Project at Dapaong and Pagala, are listed in the NMNH database. Six specimens from the “Campus Universitaire” and from a locality called “Forever” are listed in the MNHN database.

REMARK

The subspecies giffardi de Winton, 1898 occurs in Togo. This species is now recognized as a species complex (see Jacquet et al. 2013; Jacquet 2015).

Crocidura poensis (Fraser, 1843) ▶

VOUCHERS AND REMARK. — Ten specimens, captured in 1968 by the African Mammal Project at Pewa, Padori, Pagala, and Ezime are listed in the NMNH database. However, Churchfield & Hutterer (2013) still show it as missing from the Dahomey Gap.

Crocidura theresae Heim de Balsac, 1968 ▶

VOUCHERS AND REMARK. — A specimen from Kandé (Kanté) is listed in the MNHN database. However, Duplantier & Granjon (2013b) only show this species reaching into southwestern Ghana from the Upper Guinea Region.

Figures

FIG. 30. — Soricidae species are often traded for traditional medicine. In this case,some Crocidura sp. Individuals at the Marché aux Fétiches,Lomé (August 2013). Photograph: Luca Luiselli.