Crocidura maquassiensis Roberts 1946

422.

Makwassie White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura maquassiensis

French: Crocidure de Maquassi / German: Makwassie-\Weil3zahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Makwassie

Other common names: Makwassie Musk Shrew, Maquassie Musk Shrew, Makwassie Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura maquassiensis Roberts, 1946,

Klipkuil, Makwassie, Wolmaransstad District, North West Province, South Africa.

Crocidura maquassiensis might be related to C. pitman, although its phylogenetic relationship is uncertain. Monotypic.

Distribution. E & S Zimbabwe, E South Africa, and Swaziland.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 54-5— 74 mm, tail 43-46 mm, ear 8-9 mm, hindfoot 11-11-5 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Makwassie Whitetoothed Shrew is a small species of shrew. Dorsum is gray brown washed with gray (hairs are slate-gray, with fawn subterminal band and brown tips); venteris gray tinged with fawn (hairs are slate-gray, with pale gray tips); and dorsum and venter merge at flanks. Feet are pale brown. Tailis relatively long at ¢.71% of head-body length, hairy, and bicolored, being dark brown above and paler below. Females have three inguinal nipples. There are three unicuspids.

Habitat. Primarily montane vegetation or rocky areas (but perhaps broader habitat preferences) up to elevations of ¢.1500 m. The Makwassie White-toothed Shrew is sometimes found in gardens and grasslands along rivers, and one specimen was collected in a coastal forest.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A pregnant Makwassie White-toothed Shrew with three embryos was captured in October.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Although the Makwassie White-toothed Shrew is relatively rare and seldom captured, it seems to have no major threats and is widespread.

Bibliography. Baxter & Dippenaar (2013c), Cassola (2016az), Meester (1963), Skinner & Smithers (1990), Taylor (1998).