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Short-eared
Elephant-Shrews
What is a short-eared elephant-shrew?
Short-eared elephant-shrews
are small shrew-like looking animals, which belong to an own order of mammals
(Macroscelidea).
The sientific name of the
animals is Macroscelides proboscideus ("macroscelides" Greek: with
long femur, "proboscis" Latin: trunk), synonyms are "Round-eared Elephant-Shrew"
and "Jumping Shrew". Recently the name "sengi" is used more often for elephant-shrews,
especially to distinguish them from the "real" shrews (Soricidae). 
Adult short-eared elephant-shrews
can reach a total size up to 23 cm, the tail makes up about 12 cm. With
this size the animals are the smallest elephant-shrews. Adults weigh about
40g on an average.
The
fur of the animals is dense and very soft, brown coloured on the upper
body side and white on the ventral side. But only the tips of the hairs
are coloured, at the base the hairs are dark coloured. For free-living
short-eared elephant-shrews many various colourations have been described,
which are classified by some authors as subspecies (G. C. SHORTRIDGE [1934]:
The Mammals of South West Africa. Vol. 1. Heinemann, London).
The long tail of the animals, which is always held horizontally during moving, is covered with black bristles. At the base of the tail the skin is rose, otherwise it is dark pigmented.
Already
the name "Jumping Shrew" gives a hint to the funny appearance of the animals.
Really striking are their long slender hind legs, caused by the lengthening
of the lower legs and metatarsals. But the animals do not move, as the
name "Jumping Shrew" might suggest, in a jumping way (like kangaroos or
jerboas), they move quadrupedal.
Legs are covered with short white hairs, tibia and fibula as well as radius and ulna are fusioned. Each leg carries five toes, the first toe (hallux) of the hind legs is removed from the others. Toes have dark small claws.
Another
striking feature of short-eared elephant-shrews is their long mobile snout
(the "elephant trunk"). It is covered with short white hairs and carries
the nostrils on the top, which are surrounded by a black and wet skin area
(rhinarium). At the base of the long nose there are long vibrissae, that
make the animals able for tactile orientation.
Besides the olfactorial sense being so important for elephant-shrews, olfactorial communication also plays an important role in the life of these animals. A special olfactorial gland is located ventral at the base of the tail. Sudoriferous glands at the feet, sebaceous glands at the tail, behind the ears, in the corner of the mouth and in the genital region can also function as scent glands.
Further characteristics are the ears, which have - in comparison to other elephant shrews - a round shape and therefore seem to be shorter. The enlarged bullae of the skull indicate that acoustic orientation is important for elephant-shrews. Optic orientation seems to play not that important role, even though big black eyes.
And last but not least -
the teeth of short-eared elephant-shrews. The dentition of the animals
is the one of an omnivore. They own 40 teeth, whereby each side of the
jaw carries three incisors, one canine, four praemolares and two molares.
The molares are hypsodont.
Elephant-shrews are restricted
to Africa, the most species living in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
Only one species, Elephantulus rozeti, is found in semi-arid habitats
in North Africa (Marocco and Algeria). Elephant-shrews inhabit various
areas: Elephantulus is living in savannas, Rhynchocyon in
mountain and lowland forests with dense underbush and Pedrodomus
in thickets and undergrowth of forests in central Africa and at the east
coast. Short-eared elephant-shrews are restricted to desert and semi-desert
regions with sparse bush and grass cover in the Cape Province of South
Africa, in Namibia and in South-West-Botswana (Map).
There are different statements
to the life span of these animals. Free-living animals might reach an age
of 1 - 1 ½ years, in captivity
3 ¼ years are evidenced.
Also ages of 5 ¾ and 6 years can be found in literature.
According to the "Red List
of Threatened Animals" of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation
of Nature) in 1996 the following species are threatened: M. proboscideus,
E.
revoili, E. edwardii, E. rupestris and R. cirnei
are classified as "vulnerable", R. chrysopygus and R. petersi
are categorized as "endangered" (http://www.animalinfo.org/index.htm).
The most important cause for decline of populations are habitat loss and
fragmentation by deforestation. But also hunting for food, especially along
the coast of Kenya, can play an important role for small isolated populations.
Elephantulus,
Macroscelides
and
remaining subspecies of Pedrodomus are not or little threatened
(G. B. RATHBUN [1995]: Conservtion issues and strategies for elephant shrews.
Mammal Rev. 25 [1/2]. p. 79-86).