Sylvisorex

The forest shrews are the members of the genus Sylvisorex. They are mammals in the family Soricidae^[1] and are found only in Africa. The genus name comes from the Latin world "silva" which means "forest" and "sorex", which means "shrew-mouse". This reflects the nature of these shrews, which prefer forest habitats. All shrews are carnivorous, and eat continually to satisfy their high metabolic rate.^[2]

Sylvisorex
Lesser forest shrew (Sylvisorex oriundus) (lower image)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Soricidae
Subfamily:	Crocidurinae
Genus:	Sylvisorex Thomas, 1904
Type species
Crocidura morio

The genus contains these species:

• Akaibe's forest shrew, Sylvisorex akaibei
• Cameroonian forest shrew, Sylvisorex cameruniensis
• Corbet's forest shrew, Sylvisorex corbeti
• Grant's forest shrew, Sylvisorex granti
• Howell's forest shrew, Sylvisorex howelli
• Bioko forest shrew, Sylvisorex isabellae
• Johnston's forest shrew, Sylvisorex johnstoni
• Kongana shrew, Sylvisorex konganensis
• Moon forest shrew, Sylvisorex lunaris
• Mount Cameroon forest shrew, Sylvisorex morio
• Greater forest shrew, Sylvisorex ollula
• Lesser forest shrew, Sylvisorex oriundus
• Rain forest shrew, Sylvisorex pluvialis
• Bamenda forest shrew, Sylvisorex silvanorum
• Volcano shrew, Sylvisorex vulcanorum