423.

Turbo White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura turba

French: Crocidure turbulente / German: Haarschwanz-Weifszahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Turbo

Other common names: Tumultuous Shrew, Turbo Shrew

Taxonomy. Crocidura turba Dollman, 1910,

“ Chilui Island [= Chilubi Island], Lake Bangweolo,” Zambia.

Exact placement of C. turba phylogenetcally is uncertain, but one study found it to be genetically close to C. telfordi. Monotypic.

Distribution. Central and East Africa except for C Congo Basin; from S Cameroon E to W Kenya and S to Angola and Zambia including Bioko I.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 99-102 mm, tail 55-59 mm, ear 7-7-8-1 mm, hindfoot 15-16 mm; weight 17-21 g. The Turbo Whitetoothed Shrew is large, with short and soft pelage. Dorsal pelage is blackish brown or dark brown (hairs are gray basally, with dark brown tips), and ventral pelage is gray with brownish tinge medially. Throat is pale or ashy gray. Nose has conspicuous blob on tip. Tail is ¢.58% of head-body length, hairy, and brown. There are three unicuspids.

Habitat. Variety of habitats, including dry forests, montane forests, riverine habitats, and bush and grasslands, typically preferring moist forested areas at elevations up to c.1500 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A female Turbo White-toothed Shrew in reproductive condition was captured in the mid-dry season (January) in Kenya.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Turbo White-toothed Shrew has a wide distribution and is considered common throughout much of its distribution, with no major threats.

Bibliography. Dieterlen & Heim de Balsac (1979), Hutterer (2016g), Hutterer & Joger (1982), Kaleme et al. (2007), Kasangaki et al. (2003), Oguge (2013d), Stanley et al. (2015).