Congosorex polli (Heim de Balsac & Lamotte, 1956)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 332-551 : 546

428.

Greater Congo Shrew

Congosorex polli

French: Musaraigne de Poll / German: GroRe Kongo-Spitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana del Congo mayor

Other common names: Poll’s Shrew

Taxonomy. Myosorex polli Heim de Balsac & Lamotte, 1956 ,

LLubondai via Tshimbulu (06° 30° S, 22° 39’ E), Kasai Province (= Kasi-Central Province), DR Congo.

Congosorex seems to be imbedded within Mpyosorex, indicating that a revision of the entire subfamily Myosoricinae is needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from Kasai-Central Province, SC DR Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 60 mm,tail

24 mm, ear 6-5 mm, hindfoot 10 mm (one specimen). No specific data are available for body weight. The Greater Congo Shrew is a small shrew with a large head, reduced ears, and minute eyes hidden by the pelage. Dorsal and ventral pelage are brown and hair is short. Feet are short with moderately well-developed digits and claws, and have large, conspicuous scales covering the dorsal surface. Tail is relatively short (c.40% of head-body length), covered in short hairs, and slightly bicolored, brown above, lighter below. Skull has a short rostrum and wide, inflated braincase; the interorbital area is wide and the maxillary is narrow. Males have a pointed phallus. There are three unicuspids.

Habitat. Probably found in gallery forest in the savanna.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Greater Congo Shrew is known from only a single specimen collected in 1955. Further research is needed on distribution, abundance, general ecology, and threats to this species.

Bibliography. Gerrie & Kennerley (2016w), Heim de Balsac & Lamotte (1956), Hutterer (2013a), Hutterer et al. (2001), Stanley, Rogers & Hutterer (2005b), Willows-Munro & Matthee (2009).

Figures

424. Aberdare Mole Shrew (Surdisorex norae), 425. Mount Kenya Mole Shrew (Surdisorex polulus), 426. Schlitter’s Mole Shrew (Surdisorex schlitteri), 427. Phillips's Congo Shrew (Congosorex phillipsorum), 428. Greater Congo Shrew (Congosorex polli), 429. Lesser Congo Shrew (Congosorex verheyeni), 430. Meester’s Mouse Shrew (Myosorex meester), 431. Dark-footed Mouse Shrew (Myosorex cafer), 432. Sclater’s Mouse Shrew (Myosorex sclateri), 433. Thin Mouse Shrew (Mpyosorex tenuis), 434. South African Mouse Shrew (Myosorex varius), 435. Long-tailed Mouse Shrew (Myosorex longicaudatus), 436. Kilimanjaro Mouse Shrew (Myosorex zinki), 437. Geata Mouse Shrew (Myosorex geata), 438. Kihaule’s Mouse Shrew (Myosorex kihaulei), 439. Nyika Mouse Shrew (Myosorex gnoskei), 440. Schaller’s Mouse Shrew (Myosorex schalleri), 441. Kabogo Mouse Shrew (Myosorex kabogoensis), 442. Babault’ ' s Mouse Shrew (Mpyosorex babaultu), 443. Montane Mouse Shrew (Myosorex blarina), 444. Bururt Mouse Shrew (Myosorex bururiensis), 445. Kahuzi Mouse Shrew (Myosorex jejer), 446. Eisentraut’s Mouse Shrew (Myosorex eisentrauti), 447. Rumpi Mouse Shrew (Myosorex rumpii), 448. Oku Mouse Shrew (Myosorex okuensis)

Distribution. Known only from Kasai-Central Province, SC DR Congo.