São Tomé shrew

São Tomé shrew
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Soricidae
Genus:	Crocidura
Species:	C. thomensis
Binomial name
Crocidura thomensis (Bocage, 1887)
File:Sao Tome Shrew area.png
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.