The Cyrenaica shrew or Alexander's shrew (''Crocidura aleksandrisi'') is a species of

white-toothed shrew The white-toothed shrews or Crocidurinae are one of three subfamilies of the shrew family Soricidae. The outer layer of these shrews' teeth is white, unlike that of the red-toothed shrews. These species are typically found in Africa and souther ...

in the family Soricidae which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

. The Cyrenaica shrew is a small shrew which is very similar to the widespread

lesser white-toothed shrew The lesser white-toothed shrew (''Crocidura suaveolens'') is a tiny shrew with a widespread distribution in Africa, Asia and Europe. Its preferred habitat is scrub and gardens and it feeds on insects, arachnids, worms, gastropods, newts and sm ...

of Europe and Asia, both species have teeth which lack the red colouration on the crowns of the teeth. They are small mammals with paler fur underneath and a pointed muzzle and a long tail. The Cyrenaica shrew is endemic to Libya, specifically to the province of

Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή ��παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...

where it is found from sea level up to 200 to 300 m. Specimens were collected from the 1960s through the 1990s, and there were no signs that the population had declined or that there were any major threats to the species in its restricted range and is therefore assessed as Least Concern. The Cyrenaica shrew is found in Mediterranean vegetation such as scrub and also in littoral and rocky areas. It is thought to occur in degraded habitats, and to be largely terrestrial and nocturnal. It is very closely related to the lesser white-toothed shrew and is likely to share that species rather sociable habits and to "caravan", i.e. the young follow their mother in a line holding their predecessor's tail in their mouth so that the family stays together while foraging or seeking shelter. It seems to be relatively common and its skulls are frequently found in the pellets of owls collected from within their range. The group of shrews this species belongs to are also known as "musk shrews" because of the musky scented secretions they produce and use to scent mark their territories by dragging their bellies along the ground.

References

Cyrenaica shrew The Cyrenaica shrew or Alexander's shrew (''Crocidura aleksandrisi'') is a species of white-toothed shrew in the family Soricidae which is endemic to Libya. The Cyrenaica shrew is a small shrew which is very similar to the widespread lesser whi ...

Mammals of North Africa Endemic fauna of Libya

Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{whitetoothed-shrew-stub