Myosorex varius

(Smuts, 1832)

South African Mouse Shrew

Side view. Formerly Soricomorpha. Also as Forest Shrew.
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Location:South Africa, Western Cape, SilvermineDate taken:UnknownDescription:Side view. Formerly Soricomorpha. Also as Forest Shrew.

Distribution :

South Africa, from West and Eastern Cape across Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State to Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces; also Lesotho and Swaziland.

Image courtesy of the ASM Mammal Images Library · MIL ID: 021

Taxonomy

Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Magnorder: Boreoeutheria
Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Order: Eulipotyphla
Suborder: Erinaceota
Superfamily: Soricoidea
Family: Soricidae
Subfamily: Myosoricinae
Genus: Myosorex

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Smuts, J. 1832. Dissertatio zoologica, enumerationem mammalium capensium continens. J. C. Cyfveer, Leiden, 108 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43088798

Original name as described

Sorex varius

Other common names

Forest Shrew

Type material

RMNH.MAM.39038

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/RMNH.MAM.39038.a https://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/RMNH.MAM.39038.b

Type locality

Algoa Bay, Cape of Good Hope (= Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa).

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Eswatini · Lesotho · South Africa

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1004108

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details.

Total: 8 names and synonyms.

Sorex varius

Smuts, 1832

Family

Soricidae

Root name

varius

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

RMNH.MAM.39038

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

in circuitu sinus ALGOACI (Algoa-Baai)

Type locality

South Africa: Eastern Cape.

Type specimen URI

https://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/RMNH.MAM.39038.a https://data.biodiversitydata.nl/naturalis/specimen/RMNH.MAM.39038.b

Authority page

108

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43088798

Authority publication

Leiden

Name usages

Smuts (1832:108, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43088798) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/60235)
Lesson (1836:239, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62814922) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/61467)
Blainville (1838:741, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27514350) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68639)
Smith (1844:pl. 44 (fig. 2), https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51577881) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67656)

Sorex herpestes

Duvernoy, 1838

Family

Soricidae

Root name

herpestes

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MNHN-ZM-2011-151 (= MNHN:type:235) (= MNHN "93")

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

cap de Bonne-Espérance ... le plus jeune ... dans le district de Swellendam ... le plus âgé à Winberg

Type locality

South Africa: Western Cape.

Type specimen URI

http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/zm/2011-151

Authority page

2

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33962194

Authority publication

Mémoires de la Société du muséum d'histoire naturelle de Strasbourg

Name usages

Chenu (1852:138, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14470749) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69491)
Giebel (1855:904, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45549095) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/38563)
Murray (1866:343, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580339) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)
Hutterer (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9714)

Myosorex varius:

J. E. Gray, 1838

Family

Soricidae

Root name

varius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

124

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30571009

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

Gray (1838:124, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30571009) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34967)
Lesson (1842:92) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
Fitzinger (1861:392, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6438325) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39159)
Trouessart (1904:139, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53422968) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59289)
Roberts (1913:69, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50439527) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17656)
Allen (1939:48, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782078) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Shortridge (1942:35, 78, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888914, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888995) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
Shortridge (1942:78) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
Roberts (1946:311) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)
Corbet & Hill (1980:32) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:88) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
Corbet & Hill (1991:37) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
Hutterer (1993:100) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/65737)
Hutterer (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9714)
Happold & Happold (2013:161) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27624)
Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #41382) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
Wilson & Mittermeier (2018:547) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57916)
Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #41382) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1004108) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41382/115519477) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Musaraneus herpestes:

A. Pomel, 1848

Family

Soricidae

Root name

herpestes

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

249

Authority publication

Archives des sciences physiques et naturelles

Name usages

Pomel (1848:249) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39411)

Musaraneus (Myosorex) varius:

A. Pomel, 1848

Family

Soricidae

Root name

varius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

249

Authority publication

Archives des sciences physiques et naturelles

Name usages

Pomel (1848:249) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39411)

Myosorex transvaalensis

A. Roberts, 1924

Family

Soricidae

Root name

transvaalensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 2959

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

at Koster, on the edge of the "highveld" of Transvaal

Type locality

South Africa: North West (South Africa).

Authority page

61

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Roberts (1924:61) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17634)
Allen (1939:48, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782078) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Hutterer (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9714)

Myosorex varius varius:

G. M. Allen, 1939

Family

Soricidae

Root name

varius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

48

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782078

Authority publication

Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology

Name usages

Allen (1939:48, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782078) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Shortridge (1942:35, 78, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888914, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/40888995) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
Shortridge (1942:78) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/48770)
Roberts (1946:311) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)

Myosorex varius pondoensis

A. Roberts, 1946

Family

Soricidae

Root name

pondoensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 766

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Tegweni, Port St Johns, Pondoland

Type locality

South Africa: Eastern Cape.

Authority page

311

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Roberts (1946:311) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)
Hutterer (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9714)

Publications

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