The long-tailed forest shrew, or long-tailed mouse shrew, (''Myosorex longicaudatus'') is a species of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

in the family Soricidae. It 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 ...

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

, where its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and swamps.

Description

The long-tailed forest shrew has a head-and-body length of between , with a tail averaging . The dorsal fur is mainly dark grey; the individual hairs have grey bases, yellowish or brownish shafts and blackish tips, creating a yellowish, brownish or blackish washed effect on the coat. The underparts are somewhat paler, with the dorsal and ventral colourings merging on the flanks. The tail is brownish-black above and paler underneath.

Distribution and habitat

This shrew is

to South Africa, where it is restricted to a coastal strip in

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...

. It occurs at altitudes of up to about , with a subspecies, ''Myosorex longicaudatus boosmai'', occurring in the Langeberg Mountains at higher altitudes than other populations. Suitable

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

includes primary forests and their edges,

fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...

and swampy grassland. This shrew needs moist conditions and does not occur in secondary forest.

Ecology

This shrew feeds mainly on insects, but also eats other small invertebrates, and seeds have been found among its stomach contents. When sniffing its surroundings, this shrew stands on its hind legs and braces itself with its tail. It also uses its tail in a prehensile manner when descending from vegetation.

Status

In suitable habitat, this species is quite common. Population sizes seem to vary considerably, in one instance no individuals were found in an area that had been well-populated during the previous survey. The greatest threat facing this shrew is probably

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

; it is dependent on a moist environment and the surrounding terrain is drier than its present habitat. It is also threatened by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has assessed its conservation status as being endangered.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1763247 Myosorex Mammals of South Africa Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Mammals described in 1978 Endemic fauna of South Africa