Abstract:
In this study, we collected 226 shrew specimens originating from 16 localities on the Guinean and
Liberian sides of Mount Nimba. We surveyed all major vegetation zones from 400 to 1600 m above
sea level (asl), including forest and savannah habitats. We recorded 11 species, whose identifications
were confirmed by genetic analyses and classical morphometrics. Furthermore, we provide cytogenetic
data for five of these species. The shrew community at Mount Nimba is composed of a mix of both
savannah- and forest-dependent species, which is related to the peculiar position of Mount Nimba
situated at the transition between lowland rainforest to the south and Guinean woodlands to the
north. We recorded 11 species of shrews in syntopy in lowland rainforest, seven in edaphic savannah and mountain forest, and five in high-altitude savannah at 1600 m asl. Based on morphometric
analyses, we show that these syntopic species separate along a size axis, allowing species to occupy
different ecological niches, which we speculate allows them to access different food resources. We also
highlight that Crocidura theresae Heim de Balsac, 1968 from Mount Nimba has a different karyotype
from that described in Côte d’Ivoire. Finally, we develop a novel identification key for shrews from
Mount Nimba using external characters and standard body measurements, allowing it to be used
in the field on live specimens. In total 12 shrew species are now known from Mount Nimba, which
highlights its exceptional position as a tropical African biodiversity hotspot.
