Suncus lixa
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Soricomorpha
Soricidae
Suncus
Suncus lixa

description: 198. Greater Dwarf Shrew <i>Suncus lixa</i> <b>French:</b> Pachyure cantiniere / <b>German:</b> MittelgroRe Wimperspitzmaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Musarana enana mayor <b>Taxonomy.</b> Crocidura (Pachyura) lixa Thomas, 1898, Nyika Plateau, Malawi. In the original combination, the epithet lixa 1s a classical Latin noun and is there- fore invariable. The seven species of en- demically African Suncus seem to be more closely related to Sylvisorex than to other species of Suncus. They might be better placed in Sylvisorex but are retained in Suncus here until additional research is conducted. Suncus lixa previously includ- ed S. aequatorius, although it is recognized here due to its morphological differences, although genetic data have not yet validated this. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Southern Africa in S DR Congo, E Angola, Zambia, SW Tanzania, N Malawi, Zimbabwe, NE Namibia, N Botswana, S Mozambique, Swaziland, and E South Africa. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 52-81 mm, tail 36-51 mm, ear 5-8 mm, hindfoot 12 mm; weight 4-9 g. The Greater Dwarf Shrew is medium-sized, but it is a small shrew in the family. Dorsum is grayish brown; venter is pale gray; and there is no sharp demarcation, with dorsum and venter gradually blending into each other on sides. Head is long and slender, with narrow pointed muzzle; eyes are small; and ears are relatively large and rounded. Feet are generally whitish. Tail is ¢.64% of head-body length, covered with hair, and bicolored, being brown above and whitish or yellow below. Females have three pairs of inguinal mammae. Skull of the Greater Dwarf Shrew is shorter than in the Lesser Dwarf Shrew (S. varilla). There are four unicuspids, and fourth is very small; teeth are unpigmented white. <b>Habitat.</b> Various dry tropical savannas and woodlands, commonly riverine forests, open dry scrub, open grassland, coastal lowland forests, Acacia (Fabaceae) woodlands, and suburban gardens. Greater Dwarf Shrews primarily occur in lowland habitats. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> Greater Dwarf Shrews are insectivorous. <b>Breeding.</b> Reproduction of the Greater Dwarf Shrew probably occurs year-round but has been recorded in wet seasons (January) in South Africa. A lactating female was captured in August in KwaZulu-Natal. Litters have three young. <b>Activity patterns.</b> No information. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Greater Dwarf Shrews are known to inhabit and build nests in termite mounds. They might go into torpor when food is scarce, similarly to other crocidurines, although this has not been documented. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Although the Greater Dwarf Shrew has a relatively wide distribution and it does not seem to face any major threats,it is known from only a few scattered specimens throughoutits distribution and is difficult to catch. <b>Bibliography.</b> Baxter &amp; Dippenaar (2013i), Cassola (2017c), Dubey, Salamin, Ohdachi et al. (2007), Dubey, Salamin, Ruedi et al. (2008), Heim de Balsac &amp; Meester (1977), Taylor (1998), Wirminghaus &amp; Nanni (1989).
description: Published as part of <i>Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; 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</i> on pages 464-465, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6870843