Crocidura balingka

Crocidura balingka is a species of shrew in the genus Crocidura known from Mount Singgalang on Sumatra, where it occurs only above 2000 m. It is named after the people of the village of Balingka in Agam Regency for their assistance to biologists studying the local fauna. The species was first described in 2024 by a team of scientists from the United States and Indonesia. DNA evidence indicates that it is most closely related to Crocidura dewi, another Mount Singgalang endemic, and to Crocidura aequicauda, which is from another mountain on Sumatra.

At a weight of 4.1 to 6.5 g, Crocidura balingka is a relatively small shrew, smaller than its close relative C. dewi. The fur is dark gray-brown on the back and slightly lighter on the lower side of the body. The feet and ears are darker than in other comparably sized Sumatran shrews.