Suncus megalura Jentink 1888

Suncus megalura Jentink 1888, Notes Leyden Mus., 10: 48.

Type Locality: Liberia, Junk River, Schieffelinsville.

Vernacular Names: Climbing Shrew.

Synonyms: Suncus angolensis (Roberts 1929); Suncus gemmeus (Heller 1910); Suncus infuscus (Thomas 1915); Suncus irene (Thomas 1915); Suncus phaeopus (Osgood 1936); Suncus sheppardi (Kershaw 1921); Suncus sorella (Thomas 1898); Suncus sorelloides (Lönnberg 1912) .

Distribution: Tropical forest and Guinea savanna zone of Africa from Upper Guinea to Ethiopia and south to Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc) as Sylvisorex megalura .

Discussion: Until recently placed in genus Sylvisorex, but genetic data (Querouil et al., 2001) show that S. megalura is the sister species of the Indian S. dayi . Karyotype (2n = 48, FN = 96) described by Meylan (1975). A common African species of forest edges and forested savannas; range mapped by Hutterer et al. (1987 b). Gureev (1979:381) listed sorella as a distinct species without comment. Some geographic variation exists, the Central African forest populations being smallest and darkest. For synonyms see Heim de Balsac and Meester (1977:7-8).