Afrosoricida is an order of placental mammals. Members of this order are called afrosoricids, and include golden moles, otter shrews, and tenrecs. They are found in Africa, generally in forests, but also inland wetlands, shrublands, and grasslands. They range in size from the least shrew tenrec, at 4 cm (2 in) plus a 6 cm (2 in) tail, to the giant otter shrew, at 34 cm (13 in) plus a 39 cm (15 in) tail. Afrosoricids primarily eat invertebrates, particularly insects and earthworms, though some will also eat small lizards or other vertebrates. The golden moles have vestigial eyes covered with skin, and track their prey through vibrations rather than sight. No population estimates have been made for any afrosoricid species, though the De Winton's golden mole is classified as Critically Endangered and the giant golden mole, Gunning's golden mole, Jenkins's shrew tenrec, Juliana's golden mole, Marley's golden mole, northern shrew tenrec, and Van Zyl's golden mole are categorized as endangered species. The fifty-five extant species of Afrosoricida are divided into two suborders, with Chrysochloridea containing the family Chrysochloridae, or golden moles, and Tenrecomorpha containing the families Potamogalidae, or otter shrews, and Tenrecidae, or tenrecs. Chrysochloridae is split into the subfamilies Chrysochlorinae, containing eleven species in six genera, and Amblysominae, containing ten species in four genera. Potamogalidae consists of three species in two genera, while Tenrecidae contains the subfamilies of Geogalinae, comprising a single species, Oryzorictinae, containing twenty-five species in three genera, and Tenrecinae, containing five species in four genera. The order as a whole was traditionally grouped with the hedgehogs, shrews, and moles as part of the order Lipotyphla, but modern molecular phylogenetic analysis resulted in that order being split into Afrosoricida and Eulipotyphla. Few extinct Afrosoricida species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization are not fixed.
Conventions
The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the afrosoricid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†".
Classification The order Afrosoricida consists of two suborders, Chrysochloridea and Tenrecomorpha. Chrysochloridea consists of the family Chrysochloridae, or golden moles, and Tenrecomorpha contains the families Potamogalidae, or otter shrews, and Tenrecidae, or tenrecs. Chrysochloridae contains twenty-one species in ten genera, divided into two subfamilies. Potamogalidae consists of three species in two genera, while Tenrecidae contains thirty-one species in eight genera, divided into three subfamilies. Many of these species are further subdivided into subspecies. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species.
Afrosoricids The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.
Suborder Chrysochloridea
Family Chrysochloridae
Subfamily Chrysochlorinae
Subfamily Amblysominae
Suborder Tenrecomorpha
Family Potamogalidae
Family Tenrecidae
Subfamily Geogalinae
Subfamily Oryzorictinae
Subfamily Tenrecinae
References
Sources Garbutt, Nick (2007). Mammals of Madagascar. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12550-4. Bronner, Gary N. (2013). Kingdon, Jonathan; Happold, David; Hoffmann, Michael; Butynski, Thomas; Happold, Meredith; Kalina, Jan (eds.). The Mammals of Africa. Vol. I: Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4081-8996-2. Mittermeier, Russell A.; Wilson, Don E. (2018). Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 8. Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4. Bronner, Gary N.; Jenkins, Paulina D. (2005). Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0.
