Elephant Shrews in Africa

The Elephant shrew also referred to as sengi are small mammals that are native throughout Africa. Elephant Shrews were originally classified as shrews (Soricidae) because of their physical resemblance. But, in the late 1990s, biologists used genetic sequences to reconstruct the family tree of mammals and concluded that sengis are not closely related to shrews but are rather branched from the elephant and aardvark lineage. 1)

Phylogenetic tree of the Elephant Shrew. 2)

Sengis belong to the order Macroscelidea which contains more than 20 species of Elephant Shrews. These species are divided into six main genera.3)

  1. Elephantulus myurus
  2. Galegeeska revoilii
  3. Macroscelides proboscideus
  4. Petrodromus tetradactylus
  5. Petrosaltator rozeti
  6. Rhynchocyon petersi

Elephant Shrews have very common features, including slim bodies, long hind legs that aid in jumping and escaping from predators such as birds, lizards, and snakes. They additionally have an extremely long tongue and flexible snout similar to an elephant's snout that is used to forage for small insects.4) Yet, Elephant Shrews have distinguishable external characteristics that can assist with identifying and separating sengis into different genera.

For more information regarding how sengis are able to use their long hind legs and flexible snout, visit https://youtu.be/BgI8gZIJZjQ?t=89 which can provide a live-action video.

Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew Identification

Genus

Elephantulus myurus

Distribution

The Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew is most commonly found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Mozambique. They typically inhabit areas with boulders and hill slopes or valley floors with major rock debris for shelter and protection against prey. Furthermore, this sengi prefers to burrow in sand unlike other Elephant Shrews which prefer to burrow in leaves or course rocks.5)

Distubution Map of Elephantulus myurus. 6)

External Morphology

Elephantulus myurus has an average mass of 60 grams and can be 202-290 cm long. They have reduced locomotion due to their heel not resting on the ground. The tail is longer than the body and is gray with scattered hair. This sengi has a soft brownish-gray dorsal coat and a ventral side that is light gray. There is a white ring that is located around the ears and eyes. This Elephant Shrew is the most commonly known sengi.7)

8)

Somali Elephant Shrew Identification

Genus

Galegeeska revoilii

Distribution

The Galegeeska revoilii retrieved its name as it was originally native to only Somalia, but in 2020 the Somali Elephant Shrew has been found in other nations of the Northern Horn of Africa which include Djibouti and Ethiopia. It is common for this sengi to inhabit arid and semiarid desert areas with rocks and shrubs.9)

Distribution Map of Galegeeska revoilii. 10)

External Morphology

The Samali Elephant Shrew has a spectacled facial pattern. They have a brown dorsal coat and a grey ventral side. The eye is surrounded by a pale white ring but is interrupted by a dark post-ocular spot. This sengi has hairs that are interior of the nose which is not apparent in others. Unlike other Elephant Shrews, this sengi has a hairy brownish-grey tail with a tuft at the distal tip.11)

12)

Short-eared Elephant Shrew Identification

Genus

Macroscelides proboscideus

Distribution

The Short-eared Elephant Shrew also known as the Round-eared Elephant Shrew is distributed from Namibia through South Africa, and parts of Botswana. They also inhabit areas that are semi-desert or deserts with boulders and sparse shrubs.13)

Distubution Map of Macroscelides proboscideus. 14)

External Morphology

This sengi has distinctive round and short ears compared to others. They additionally lack a pale ring around the eyes. On the hind feet, the first digit is relatively smaller than the others. The dorsal coat has long orangish-brown hair and a ventral side that is completely white. The Macroscelides proboscideus weighs between 40-50 grams which is very small compared to other sengis. The body is about 100-110 cm long with a tail length of 97-130 mm long.15)

16)

Four-toed Elephant Shrew Identification

Genus

Petrodromus tetradactylus

Distribution

The Petrodromus tetradactylus is located in southeastern Africa and inhabits areas that are montane forests or dense woodlands.17)

Distribution Map of Petrodromus tetradactylus. 18)

External Morphology

This sengi has four toes on the hind feet as opposed to five. The upper parts of the feet are brownish-yellow. The ears are dark brown but have white hair on the base of the inner ear. The ears are upstanding which is uncommon in other sengis. The tail is black with a pale yellow underside. This sengi has a dark brown to almost black dorsal coat with a light grey ventral side. This Elephant Shrew weighs about 160-280 grams and has a small tail length of about 15.5-17 cm long. The body length is 19-23 cm long.19)

20)

North African Elephant Shrew Identification

Genus

Petrosaltator rozeti

Distribution

The North African Elephant Shrew is the only sengi that resides north of the Sahara. They are common in semi-arid savanna areas or woodlands, specifically in Morocco, northern Algeria, and Tunisia.21)

Distribution Map of Petrosaltator rozeti. 22)

External Morphology

The Petrosaltator rozeti weighs about 50 grams with a body length between 11-12.5 cm long. The tail is between 13-16 cm long. This sengi has a dorsal coat that can vary in color from yellowish-brown to pale sandy pink. The ventral side is white. The whiskers on this sengi are longer than others.23)

24)

Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew Identification

Genus

Rhynchocyon petersi

Distribution

The Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew occupies closed-canopy forests and other habitats that have dense leaf litter. They are only found in southeastern Kenya, northeastern Tanzania, and the islands of Unguji and Mafia.25)

Distribution Map of Rhynchocyon petersi. 26)

External Morphology

The Rhynchocyon petersi is a relatively large sengi as it weighs 350-700 grams with a body that is 310 mm long and a tail that can be 250 mm long. For this reason, this sengi is also referred to as the Giant Elephant Shrew. They have a black and reddish-brown dorsal coat with a black ventral side. Unlike others, this sengi has a longer curved trunk and tongue.27)

28)

Elephant Shrew Nest Identification

Elephant Shrews construct nests by digging a hollow hole in the soil which is then lined with leaves. Leaves are further used to overlay the hole. Freshly constructed nests are easy to spot as the surrounding soil will be wet and dark in color. Older nests are harder to distinguish as the surrounding soil will begin to dry and the color of the soil will begin to blend in with the mound of leaves. An unused nest can be identified as the leaves will be collapsed inside the hollow hole.29)

Freshly constructed sengi nest. 30)
Old constructed sengi nest. 31)
Unused sengi nest that has collapsed. 32)

Elephant Shrew Tracks

Identifying sengi tracks is extremely difficult as Elephant Shrews jump rather than walk or run. Therefore, their hind legs never fully touch the ground. They additionally make dust baths that will cover up their tracks. Dust bathing is an animal behavior that involves rolling or moving around in the sand to remove unwanted parasites.

Tracks covered up by dust bath. 33)
Petrodromus tetradactylus tracks in mud. 34)
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Eastern Rock Elephant Shrew Facts, Diet, Habitat & Pictures . (n.d.). Animalia.bio. https://animalia.bio/eastern-rock-elephant-shrew
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