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 368. Lesser Gray-brown White-toothed Shrew Crocidura silacea French: Crocidure du Mpumalanga / German: Kleine graubraune WeilRzahnspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana gris marron menor Other common names: Lesser Gray-brown Musk Shrew , Lesser Gray-brown Shrew Taxonomy. Crocidura (Crocidura) silacea Thomas, 1895 , “ Figtree Creek , De Kaap , Transvaal [= Barberton District , Mpumalanga Province , South Africa ].” Crocidura silacea seems to be basal to a clade including C. batesi , C. foxi , C. buet- tikoferi, C. theresae , C. grandiceps , and C. wimmeri , with C. cyanea , C. mariquensis , and C. hildegardeae more basal than C. silacea in this clade. This large clade is sister to a clade including C. crenata , C. fuscomurina , C. crossei , C. jouvenetae , and C. lusitania . Monotypic. Distribution. Zimbabwe, NE South Africa, Swaziland, and extreme S Mozambique. Descriptive notes. Head-body 60-80 mm, tail 43-56 mm, ear 7-10 mm, hindfoot 10-5-13 mm; weight 6-8 g. The Lesser Gray-brown White-toothed Shrew is small to medium-sized. Dorsal pelage is buffy brown to brown, grizzled with pale gray or fawn; individual hairs are slate gray-based, each with pale gray to fawn subterminal band and brown tips. Ventral pelageis pale gray, with brown tinge; individual hairs are slate gray-based, with pale gray or fawn tips. Summer pelage is noticeably darker than winter pelage. Feet are brown. Tail is ¢.70% of head-body length, pale to dark brown dorsally, and paler ventrally. Females have six inguinal nipples. There are three unicuspids. Habitat. Various habitats, including montane forest and grasslands, coastal forests, savanna woodlands, bush, grassland, and rocky regions. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. Nests of Lesser Gray-brown White-toothed Shrews are spherical with 2—4 entrances. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Lesser Gray-brown White-toothed Shrews make short and strident squeaks during aggressive encounters with conspecifics and make a similar squeak when alarmed. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Although the Lesser Gray-brown White-toothed Shrew is rarely collected, it has a relatively wide distribution and faces no major threats. It has been found in multiple protected areas including Kruger National Park. Bibliography. Baxter & Dippenaar (2013e), Cassola (2016as), Meester (1963), Taylor et al. (1994), Vogel et al. (2013).