Swamp musk shrew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swamp musk shrew |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Soricidae |
| Genus: | Crocidura |
| Species: |
C. mariquensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Crocidura mariquensis (A. Smith, 1844)
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| Swamp musk shrew range | |
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The swamp musk shrew (Crocidura mariquensis) is a small mammal found in parts of southern Africa. It's also known simply as the musk shrew. This tiny creature is part of the Soricidae family, which includes many types of shrews.
You can find the swamp musk shrew in countries like Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It loves to live in wet places like swamps, which is how it got its name! Scientists say it's a common animal and is not currently in danger of disappearing.
Contents
What Does the Swamp Musk Shrew Look Like?
The swamp musk shrew is a medium-sized shrew. Its head and body are about 80 mm (3 in) long, and its tail is around 60 mm (2.4 in). Male shrews are usually a little bigger than females.
Its head is long and narrow, ending in a very pointed snout. It has small eyes and round ears. The fur on its back is a dark brownish-black with a hint of rust color. The individual hairs have grey bases, brownish bands, and brownish-black tips. Its belly is a lighter grayish-brown, and there isn't a clear line where the dark fur meets the light fur.
The tail is about 70% as long as its head and body. It has some hair and is usually brown, sometimes lighter underneath. Both its front and back feet can be yellowish-brown, reddish-brown, or dark brown. When the shrew walks, the toes on its back feet spread apart. The color of these shrews can vary quite a bit depending on where they live.
Where Does the Swamp Musk Shrew Live?
The swamp musk shrew is native to southern Africa. Its home range stretches from Angola and the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo. From there, it goes through Zambia, northeastern Namibia, and northern Botswana. It also lives in Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique, Eswatini, and northeastern South Africa.
This shrew needs a wet place to live. It can be found in reed beds and other plants that grow in water. It likes areas near rivers and lakes, and in places that flood during certain times of the year. It especially prefers marshes and swamps.
How Does the Swamp Musk Shrew Live?
The swamp musk shrew is mostly active at night, which means it is nocturnal. However, sometimes you might see it moving around during the day. It is very good at climbing through the plants that grow in water.
These shrews are not aggressive towards others of their kind. They also don't mark their territory with scent. When kept in captivity, they have been seen eating snails and termites. They don't dig into the ground to find food. In the wild, their nests have been found in clumps of grass and in piles of plant material above the ground.
Reproduction
Swamp musk shrews usually have their babies during the wet season. A mother shrew typically has about three to four young in each litter.
Predators
Some animals hunt and eat the swamp musk shrew. These include the southern fiscal (a type of bird), the barn owl, and the African grass owl.
Is the Swamp Musk Shrew in Danger?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at the swamp musk shrew's situation. They have decided that its conservation status is "least concern". This means that the shrew has a wide range where it lives, and there are many of them. It also doesn't face any major threats right now. Because of this, scientists believe its total population is stable and large.
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