Crocidura grandiceps: Large-headed Shrew

Large-headed Shrew - Crocidura grandiceps
( Hutterer, 1983 )

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Subspecies:	Unknown
Est. World Population:

CITES Status:	NOT LISTED
IUCN Status:	Least Concern
U.S. ESA Status:	NOT LISTED

Body Length:
Tail Length:
Shoulder Height:
Weight:

Top Speed:
Jumping Ability:	(Horizontal)

Life Span:	in the Wild
Life Span:	in Captivity

Sexual Maturity:	(Females)
Sexual Maturity:	(Males)
Litter Size:
Gestation Period:

Habitat:

This species is largely associated with primary lowland tropical moist forest, though has also been found in swamp, secondary forest and residential areas. The type specimen was trapped in a natural grassy clearing in high forest; paratypes were collected on a cocoa farm and in a hole in the ground in secondary bush (Hutterer 1983, Grubb et al. 1998). In Ghana, the habitat of this species is now composed of small, scattered forest fragments, though it has been found in farmland adjacent to forest habitat (Adjapong et al. 2022). In Guinea, it has been identified in primary and secondary forest, fallow and young restoration plots (Nicolas et al. 2009). It has also been found in the moist semi-deciduous forest area of Atewa within Ghana (Webber and Fahr 2007). In Togo, it was identified within the wet tropical forests of Agou (Amori et al. 2016). In Côte d'Ivoire it was found in dry forest (Ahissa et al. 2020).

Range:

This West African species has been recorded from: Guinea (Decher 2004, Decher et al. 2009, Nicolas et al. 2009); Liberia (Decher et al. 2011, Mamba et al. 2021); Côte d'Ivoire, with an important population in Taï National Park (Churchfield et al. 2004, Quérouil et al. 2005) and in Tanoé-Ehy (Ahissa et al. 2020); Ghana (type locality of the Krokosua Hills and Atiwiredu; Weber and Fahr 2007; as well as Bimpong Forest Reserve; Adjapong et al. 2022); southern Benin (Bekker and Ekué 2004); Nigeria (west of the Niger River, but may occur to the east; Happold 1987); and is possibly present in Cameroon (a dubious record from Korup National Park). Grubb et al. (1998) suggest that the species might range as far west as Sierra Leone. It has been identified on Mount Nimba (Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea and Liberia; Jacquet et al. 2012) and in Prako kwaye forest (Ghana; Ofori et al. 2013), but appears absent from Banco national park, Abidjan (Kadjo et al. 2013), and the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site of Ghana (Ofori et al. 2016). Two specimens were collected in 1968 from Agou in Togo, but its status there is currently unknown (Amori et al. 2016). It has been recorded across a range of elevations from 50 m asl in a village in Liberia to 1,200 m Asl on Mount Nimba (Denys et al. 2021).

Conservation:

The species has been recorded from Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, and Bimpong Forest Reserve, Ghana. There is a need to affectively conserve remaining areas of suitable forest habitat for this species. Traditionally managed forests of West Africa may be of particular conservation importance for this species (Ofori et al. 2013). The protected forest zone of Atewa represents one third of Ghana’s Eastern Region’s forest, and may be one of only three locations within the country to be inhabited by C. grandiceps (Webber and Fahr 2007). Additional studies are needed of the species' distribution, natural history and threats. There is a need to actively monitor known populations of this species, and to survey remaining forest fragments to locate any additional viable populations.