417. Congo White-toothed Shrew Crocidura congobelgica French: Crocidure du Congo / German: Kongo-WeiRRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana del Congo Other common names: Congo Shrew, Congo White-toothed Swamp Shrew Taxonomy. Crocidura congobelgica Hollister, 1916, “ Lubila, near Bafwasende,” DR Congo. Crocidura congobelgica is probably related to the sympatric C. latona, which it closely resembles in appearance. Monotypic. Distribution. NE of DR Congo, and possibly restricted to this region; known from type locality, Ituri Forest, and Medje. Recently it has been reported from Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Masako Forest. Descriptive notes. 74-79 mm, tail 59 mm, hindfoot 13-14 mm; weight 17 g (data are from only three specimens). Condylo-incisive length is 20-7 mm. The Congo White-toothed Shrew is small to medium-sized, unicolored dark brown, and resembles Latona’s White-toothed Shrew (C. latona) and the African Dusky White-toothed Shrew (C. caliginea). Dorsal pelage is glossy dark brown, finely streaked with cinnamon buff. Ventral pelage is slightly paler, a pale smoke gray. Forefeet and hindfeet are thinly covered with brown hair, darker along outer sides. Tail is c.75% of head-body length, brownish black, paler underneath at base, and nearly naked exceptfor scattered short hairs (pilosity 25%). The Congo White-toothed Shrew is very similar to Latona’s Whitetoothed Shrew in external features but has larger skull, much wider palate, stronger maxillary processes, and larger teeth, butit lacks fovea on hypoconid of M, (present in Latona’s White-toothed Shrew and the African Dusky White-toothed Shrew). It resembles the sympatric African Dusky White-toothed Shrew in size and proportions but differs in color. Skull has large maxillary processes. Unicuspid teeth are rounded, and first upper unicuspid is relatively large and oval in crown pattern, with well-developed cingulum. Second and third unicuspids are similar to first and about equal in size, and third unicuspid slightly overlaps second. Last upper premolar lacks conspicuous posterior emargination, median space between it and M' is very small, and length is about equal to its breadth. Habitat. Undisturbed primary lowland forest. It is not clear at present whether sites where the Congo White-toothed Shrew has been found are connected by continuous forest. Captured only in fallow land adjacent to rainforest in Masako Forest, DR Congo. Food and Feeding. The Congo White-toothed Shrew eats a wide array of invertebrates, primarily arthropods. Stomach analyses contained species of Isoptera, Formicidae, Diptera (larvae), Lepidoptera (larvae), Heteroptera, Araneae, Chilopoda, and Diplopoda. Body lengths of prey were 3-30 mm. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. The Congo White-toothed Shrew is terrestrial and ground dwelling. Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Congo White-toothed Shrew is uncommon and appears to have small population sizes. Only seven specimens have been recorded from three localities during about the last 90 years. It seems to have small, localized populations and is rare in captured samples. It comprised 14% of shrews (n = 21; six species) in fallow land and only 4% of shrews (n = 72; nine species) in all habitats during three years of trapping in Masako Forest, DR Congo. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Congo White-toothed Shrew has a wide distribution, presumably large overall population, and occurs in protected areas. It is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category. Main threat to the Congo White-toothed Shrew is general habitat destruction. Illegal logging and mining activities currently threaten Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Bibliography. Churchfield et al. (2013b), Dudu et al. (2005), Heim de Balsac & Meester (1977), Hollister (1916), Hutterer (2005b, 2016i), Katuala et al. (2005), Nicoll & Rathbun (1990).

Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Soricidae, pp. 332-551 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 540, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843