Soricidae Author Russell A. Mittermeier Author Don E. Wilson text 2018 2018-07-31 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos 332 551 book chapter http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6870843 978-84-16728-08-4 6870843 419. Polia’s White-toothed Shrew Crocidura polia French: Crocidure grise / German: Polia-Weil3zahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana de Polia Other common names: Fuscous Shrew , Polia’s Shrew Taxonomy. Crocidura polia Hollister, 1916 , Medje , DR Congo . Crocidura polia was included in C. dolichura by H. Heim de Balsac and J. A. J. Meester in 1977. Crocidura polia , out of six species described by N. Hollister in 1916 from “Congo,” has not been rediscovered since its type description. Monotypic. Distribution. Known only from type locality NE DR Congo. Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.58 mm, tail 72 mm, ear 9 mm, hindfoot 13 mm (holotype, the only existing specimen). No specific data are available for body weight. Condylo-incisive length is 18-2 mm. Polia’s White-toothed Shrew is very small, with grayish brown dorsal pelage, better described as pale fuscous, sparsely speckled with silvery gray. Ventral pelageis pale grayish brown, not sharply demarcated from upperparts. Forefeet and hindfeet are thinly covered with white hair. Tail is ¢.124% of head-body length,slightly bicolored, blackish brown above, and paler below. Tail is uniquely covered with short hairs that increase in number and length toward terminal one-half to form a distinct white brush at tip. There are a few longer bristle hairs on basal one-third oftail. Skull is similar to that of the Dramatic White-toothed Shrew ( C. ludia ), about the same size and general shape, but that of Polia’s White-toothed Shrew has slightly flatter braincase and less developed maxillary processes. Skull profile is flat, rising gently from rostrum to occiput. I' is small, and M? is medium-sized. Unicuspid are pointed, first is larger than second and third, and second and third are subequal. Habitat. Vegetation at Medje is a mosaic of rainforest and savanna. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. No information. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Polia’s White-toothed Shrew lacks recent information on its status and ecological requirements. There are no conservation measures in place forit. It is not known if Polia’s White-toothed Shrew is present within any protected areas. Additional studies are needed onits distribution, abundance, general ecology, and threats. Bibliography. Heim de Balsac & Meester (1977), Hollister (1916), Hutterer (2005b, 2013u), Kennerley (2016s), Nicoll & Rathbun (1990).