Crocidura luna, Dollman, 1910
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6870843 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6870289 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3D474A54-A058-8735-FA14-A1E0105FFA97 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Crocidura luna |
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Moonshine White-toothed Shrew
French: Crocidure séléné / German: Mondberg-WeiRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana luna
Other common names: Gray-brown Musk Shrew, Greater Gray-brown Musk Shrew, Moonshine Shrew
Taxonomy. Crocidura luna Dollman, 1910 View in CoL ,
“ Bunkeya River , Shaba Province,” DR Congo.
Included in the lunafumosa species complex but genetic studies place C. luna close to a clade that includes C. obscurior and a few Palearctic species (e.g. C. sicula ); at present its phylogenetic position is unresolved. It may represent a complex of cryptic species since there is considerable morphological, genetic, and karyological
variation between populations, although further research is needed. Monotypic.
Distribution. SW and extreme NW DR Congo, S Uganda, SW Kenya, W Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, WC Mozambique, and isolated in E Zimbabwe (Inyanga Highlands). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 60-107 mm, tail 31-69 mm, ear 5-14 mm, hindfoot 7-21 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Moonshine Whitetoothed Shrew is a medium-sized shrew with moderately variable pelage. Dorsal pelage is brownish gray to very dark brownish gray, while individual hairs are slaty gray at the base, have pale fawn or gray subterminal bands, and have a paler or darker tip; ventral pelage is slightly to conspicuously paler and grayer than the dorsum, with individual hairs that have slaty gray bases and pale fawn to olive tips. Feet are usually pale brownish gray to yellowish brown or brown. Tail is relatively long (c.61% of head-body length), dark brown to blackish brown dorsally and paler ventrally, and covered in long bristle hairs. Females have six inguinal nipples. There are three unicuspids. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 36, FN = 56 in Burundi, and 2n = 28, FN = 56 in Zambia.
Habitat. Fringes of montane tropical moist forest with dense ground cover. It has also been reported on hillsides of tussock grass and in Pinus (Pinaceae) plantations. The Moonshine White-toothed Shrew occurs at elevations above 1000 m; in Malawi it is found at 2000-2300 m on the Nyika Plateau.
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. Reproduction has been recorded from October to November but probably occurs all year round. Litter size is 3-4 young.
Activity patterns. Moonshine White-toothed Shrews are terrestrial and primarily nocturnal, with peaks in activity at dawn and dusk, although they probably forage throughout the day.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Moonshine White-toothed Shrew is very widespread but seems to be relatively rare, although this may be because of a lack ofsufficient sampling. It is probably a fairly resilient species, since it can be found in altered habitats.
Bibliography. Baxter & Dippenaar (2013b), Cassola (2016ah), Castiglia et al. (2009), Chitaukali et al. (2001), Cotterill (2002), Oguge et al. (2004).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
