Soricidae Author Russell A. Mittermeier Author Don E. Wilson text 2018 2018-07-31 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos 332 551 book chapter 102847 10.5281/zenodo.6870843 8a6c6dcf-1911-46fc-8ea0-48fe55c5ed11 978-84-16728-08-4 6870843 210. Bioko Forest Shrew Sylvisorex isabellae French: Pachyure de Santa Isabel / German: Bioko-Waldmoschusspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de bosque de Bioko Other common names: Isabella Forest Shrew , Isabella Shrew Taxonomy. Sylvisorex morio isabellae Heim de Balsac, 1968 , Pic Santa Isabel , Refugium , 2000 m , Fernando Po (= Bioko Island) , Equatorial Guinea . There is a population in the Bamenda Highlands of south-western Cameroon that has been attributed to S. isabellae , although it might represent a distinct cryptic species. Monotypic. Distribution. N Bioko I and SW Cameroon. Descriptive notes. Head-body 54-63 mm, tail 54-59 mm, ear 8-9 mm, hindfoot 10-13 mm; weight 5-5-9 g. The Bioko Forest Shrew is small, with soft and dense pelage. Dorsum is dark reddish brown, and venter is generally slightly paler reddish brown, depending on the angle. Feet are brown, with inconspicuous dark brown scales and sparse short dark brown hairs. Tail is 90% of headbody length, blackish brown, and slightly lighter below. Braincase is high-domed, first incisors are long and hooked,first unicuspid is large while second to fourth are smaller and subequal, and third molar is medium in size. There are four unicuspids. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 36 and FN = 50 for the Cameroonian population. Habitat. Montane tropical moist forests and grasslands found above the tree line at elevations of 2000-2400 m. 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 Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Bioko Forest Shrew has a very small extent of occurrence (less than 5000 km?), all individuals are in fewer than five locations, and there is continuing decline in extent and quality ofits habitat. The Bioko Forest Shrew is threatened by habitat loss mainly from logging operations and conversion of land to agricultural uses. Although it is present in Mount Oku Faunal Reserve in the Bamenda Highlands of Cameroon (although its taxonomyis uncertain), there are no conservation plans in place for the Bioko Forest Shrew, and there is urgent need to conserve suitable montane forest habitat, particularly on Bioko Island. Bibliography. Heim de Balsac & Meester (1977), Hutterer (2013ah), Hutterer & Howell (2008e), Schlitter et al. (1999).