''Diplomesodon'' is a genus of

shrew Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to differ ...

that contains a single extant species, the piebald shrew ''(Diplomesodon pulchellum)''.

Taxonomy

An extinct species named '' Diplomesodon fossorius'' is known from the Early Pleistocene of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

, very distant from the current

Caspian region The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...

distribution of the piebald shrew. Another potential member of this genus is the enigmatic Sonnerat's shrew ''(Diplomesodon sonnerati)'' which is known from no physical remains and has been described based solely on a 19th century manuscript. Its status as a valid taxon is contentious, and even if it is indeed valid, the lack of any physical material indicates that it most likely has gone extinct.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10755837 Shrews Mammal genera Mammal genera with one living species