Fraser's musk shrew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fraser's musk shrew |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
 |
|
| Fraser's musk shrew range |
The Fraser's musk shrew (Crocidura poensis) is a small mammal that belongs to the Soricidae family, which are commonly known as shrews. This interesting creature lives in several countries in Africa. You can find it in Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Fraser's musk shrew prefers to live in warm, wet places. Its natural home is in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This large, dark-colored shrew was first officially described by a British zoologist named Louis Fraser in 1843. Scientists are still learning more about this shrew, and its exact details are sometimes a bit unclear.
Where Does the Fraser's Musk Shrew Live?
The Fraser's musk shrew is native to the tropical parts of western and central Africa. Its home stretches across many countries. This includes places like Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, all the way through Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria, reaching Cameroon.
Scientists think its home might even go further east than Cameroon. This is because it looks very similar to another shrew called Bates's shrew (Crocidura batesi). Bates's shrew lives in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.
You can also find Fraser's musk shrew on the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. These islands are located in the Gulf of Guinea. These shrews live from sea level up to a few hundred meters high. They usually live in thick, untouched forests or in parts of forests that are left behind. However, they have also been seen in grasslands, open grassy areas, savannas, and even on farms.
What is the Shrew's Conservation Status?
The Fraser's musk shrew is not very well known, but it is quite common in the places where it lives. It has a wide range across Africa, and there are likely many of them in total.
Currently, there are no major threats that are causing problems for this shrew. It can even adapt to areas that have been changed by people, like farms. Because of these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at its situation. They have decided that its conservation status is "least concern." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
