São Tomé shrew
| São Tomé shrew[1] | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Genus: | Crocidura |
| Species: | C. thomensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Crocidura thomensis (Bocage, 1887) | |
 | |
| Sao Tome shrew range | |
The São Tomé shrew (Crocidura thomensis) is a white-toothed shrew approximately three inches long found only on São Tomé Island, São Tomé and Príncipe. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range. It was discovered in 1886. The population continues to decrease, making these animals rare. It is found only on São Tomé Island, a small island that is actually a shield volcano that rises out of the Atlantic Ocean.
Threats
Cited by many research studies, deforestation is the primary cause of endangerment of the São Tomé shrew. Deforestation results in loss of their primary habitat which affects the São Tomé Shrew because of their small size and thus limited range. Unintentional and intentional introduction of other invasive species has taken a toll on their existence because of the increased competition for food with the other invasive species.
Conservation efforts
Conservation efforts have largely failed due to very little information on the São Tomé shrew. They are listed as “insufficiently known” by the environmental agencies. They have been located in 10 different spots only. The lack of knowledge of these shrews may lead to them being closer to extinction than previously thought.
References
- Dutton, J.; Haft, J. (1996). "Distribution, ecology and status of an endemic shrew, Crocidura thomensis, from Sao Tome". Oryx 30 (3): 195–201. doi:10.1017/s0030605300021633.
- Dallimaer, M.; King T.; Atkinson, R.J. "Pervasive threats within a protected area:conserving the endemic birds of Sao Tome, West Africa.". Animal Conservation 12 (3): 209–219. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2009.00240.x.
- Dutton, J. (1994). "Introduced mammals in Sao Tome and Principe: possible threats to biodiversity.". Biodiversity and Conservation 3 (9): 927–938. doi:10.1007/bf00129667.
- ↑ Hutterer, R. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ↑ Hutterer, R. (2004). Crocidura thomensis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 2006-05-11. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is critically endangered and the criteria used