#jumping shrew

[sleepy-bebby]

Here’s an elephant shrew to make you feel better.

[biologyluv]

The elephant shrew (or sengi) has the legs of a deer and the face of a worm-on-a-string. Its name comes from its long nose resembling that of an elephant, and it was later found that the shrew is, in fact, more closely related to elephants than any other species of shrew.

Image credit to Brookfield Zoo

Black and rufous elephant shrew

Not being a real shrew, the sengi was given its own order- macroscelidea. Other shrews are of the order eulipotyphla, shared with moles and hedgehogs. Eulipotyphla means “horribly fat and blind.”

The short-eared elephant shrew, located in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia, is the smallest of 20 species. They weigh around 1.5 ounces, which is about the same as a slice of bread. Larger elephant shrews prefer forests and thickets while smaller species prefer savanna and open country covered in shrubs. Unfortunately they don’t have very long lives, reaching sexual maturity at 5 months old and then living to 1-2 years old.

Short-eared elephant shrew. Image credit to Zoo Leipzig

Elephant shrews eat termites, ants, berries, and plant shoots. They are the favorite snacks of many creatures including snakes, birds, and small cats like caracals and servals. To cope with this, they hardly ever go into the open. Smaller species that live in the savanna, which has lots of open space, do this by creating paths through the shrubbery and grass they live in. Using these paths, they work with their spouse (they live in pairs) to hunt for bugs that try to cross it.

Overall, I’d rate the elephant shrew 9/10. They’re only missing a point because of their short lifespans.

[animal--facts]

Baby Elephant Shrew

see info

[animal--facts]

Elephant Shrew See info

[animal--facts]

Short snouted Elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus)

Description:

Also known as Short-snouted sengi are a species of Elephant Shrew found in Africa.

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom:             Animalia Phylum:                Chordata Class:                    Mammalia Order:                  Macroscelidea Family:                 Macroscelididae Genus:                  Elephantulus Species:               E. brachyrhynchus

Characteristics:

They are 42 cm tall. Their fur is brown with white rings around their eyes brownish yellow patches behind the ears. Although they do have the long snout like elephant shrew theirs is slightly shorter.

Diet:

They eat ants, termites, grasshoppers, crickets, vegetation, fruits and seeds.

Environment and behaviour:

They are found in northhern South Africa through northeast Namibia, east and central Botswana, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique north to the Democratic Republic of Congo. In East Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Their habitats include dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. They are mostly active in the early morning. They aren’t that social and often live alone, but can be found in pairs. They are heavily territorial. They can have up to 6 litter a year, with a gestation period of 57-65 days.

[animal--facts]

Elephant Shrew

Description:

Also known as ‘Jumping Shrews’ are a small group of mammals that are found in Africa.

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom:                            Animalia Phylum:                               Chordata Class:                                   Mammalia Infraclass:                          Eutheria Superorder:                        Afrotheria Order:                                 Macroscelidea Family:                                Macroscelididae

Characteristics: Evolution:

Their name ‘Elephant Shrew’ comes from their resemblance to Shrews and their long elephant trunk like nose. Although at first they were assumed to be related to Shrew it was later discovered that they were more related to an Elephant than a Shrew.

Characteristics:

They are small, with scaly tails, elongated noses and long legs. They resemble rodents or opossums. Their long legs are used to move in a way like rabbits. They are 10 cm to almost 30 cm.

Diet:

They eat insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and earthworms. Environment and behaviour:

They are found in southern part of Africa. Their habitat includes Deserts, boulder-strewn outcrops, thick forests. They are one of the fastest small mammals (They have been recorded to reach speeds of 28.8 km/h.) They are mostly active during the day. They are very weary of threats and can easily dahs away from a predator. They aren’t social but will live in pairs.  The females go through a similar menstrual cycle like humans (being one of the few nonprimate species to do so.) They have a gestation period of 45-60 days, giving birth to 1-3 young at a time. They can mate several times a year.

Species in detail:

Short snouted Elephant shrew (Will be adding more species later)

[royal-nightmare]

By far the cutest animal I've ever seen!