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 432. Sclater’s Mouse Shrew Myosorex sclateri French: Musaraigne du Kwazulu / German: Sclate-Mausspitzmaus / Spanish: Musarana ratéon de Sclater Other common names: Sclater’'s Tiny Mouse Shrew Taxonomy. Myosorex sclateri Thomas & Schwann, 1905 , Ngoye Hills , 250 m , Zululand , South Africa . Sister to M. cafer , based on recent genetic studies, although a more exhaustive phylogeny is needed to confirm this relationship. Monotypic. Distribution. KwaZulu-Natal Province, E South Africa. Descriptive notes. Head-body 81-114 mm, tail 46-57 mm, ear 8-11 mm, hindfoot 13-18 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Sclater’s Mouse Shrew is a relatively large shrew, although its size is very variable. Dorsal pelage is bright reddish brown or blackish brown; ventral pelage is yellowish brown. Feet are broad, and brown to black. Tail is short to medium-length (43-63% of head-body length), covered in dense hair, and usually uniformly brown, although the ventral surface may sometimes be paler. There are four unicuspids. Karyotype is 2n = 38. Habitat. Recorded from wet habitats including estuarine reedbeds, as well as grassland and forest near water. 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 Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Sclater’s Mouse Shrew seems to be threatened by human development, overgrazing, and general habitat destruction over its small distribution. The species is considered fairly common within its restricted range. Bibliography. Baxter (2008b), Jenkins & Churchfield (2013f), Taylor (1998), Taylor et al. (2013).