Rare Omani shrew spotted for first time outside monsoon season

An extremely rare shrew has been spotted for the first time in Oman outside Dhofar's monsoon season, according to local media.

The Crocidura Dhofarensis - also known as the Dhofar Shrew - was first documented in 1977. It has only been seen in parts of Oman's southern Dhofar region and small areas of Yemen during the seasonal rainy season.

The mammal was recently documented in Jebel Samhan, Dhofar for the first time, which falls outside the monsoon coverage, Oman's Environment Conservation Office has said. 

"It is the first time that such registration takes place at Jebel Samhan outside the monsoon zone," Hadi Musallam Al-Hakmani, director of environmental affairs at the Environment Conservation Office told Oman News Agency.

The office did not say when the animal was spotted.

The shrew was added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species in 2008.

Due to its scarcity little is known about the Dhofar shrew, including its population.

Dhofar is also home to the critically endangered Arabian Leopard with huge efforts to conserve the big cat.

The Dhofar shrew (Crocidura dhofarensis) is a white-toothed shrew found only in the Dhofar region of #Oman. pic.twitter.com/wyrp4BsEGY

— Pic N Info (@picninfoblog) November 15, 2019