Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew

Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew

Black and rufous sengi, Zanj elephant shrew

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Genus
SPECIES
Rhynchocyon petersi
Population size
Unknown
Weight
450-700
15.9-24.7
goz
g oz 
Length
28
11
cminch
cm inch 

The black and rufous elephant shrew, (Rhynchocyon petersi ) the black and rufous sengi, or the Zanj elephant shrew is one of the 17 species of elephant shrew found only in Africa. It is native to the lowland montane and dense forests of Kenya and Tanzania. Like other members of the genus Rhynchocyon, it is a relatively large species, with adults averaging about 28 cm (11 in) in length and 450-700 g (1.0-1.5 lb) in weight.

Di

Diurnal

No

Nocturnal

Ca

Carnivore

In

Insectivores

Te

Terrestrial

Pr

Precocial

Cu

Cursorial

Te

Territorial

Mo

Monogamy

Ge

Generally solitary

No

Not a migrant

B

starts with

Appearance

Black and rufous elephant shrews are small mammals. They are reddish-brown in their front half and their back half is black in color. These shrews have long proboscises and long tongues. They need to move rapidly and therefore their hindlimbs are much longer than their forelimbs.

Video

Distribution

Geography

Black and rufous elephant shrews are found only in Africa. They are native to the lowland montane and dense forests of Kenya and Tanzania.

Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew habitat map

Climate zones

Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew habitat map
Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew
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Habits and Lifestyle

Black and rufous elephant shrews are terrestrial and diurnal animals. They spend most of their time running from predators or using their good sense of hearing and smell to watch out for predators. Black and rufous elephant shrews are generally solitary creatures. Pairs do not interact often with one another. They are territorial but their home ranges may overlap. When foraging these shrews use their proboscises to dig insects from the soil and their tongues to lick them up. They typically build nests on the ground for shelter requiring dry leaf litter often at the base of trees.

Group name
Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Black and rufous elephant shrews are carnivorous (insectivorous) animals. Their diet consists of insects such as beetles, termites, and centipedes.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
BABY CARRYING
1-2 young
INDEPENDENT AGE
2 to 3 weeks
FEMALE NAME
sow
MALE NAME
boar
BABY NAME
shrewlet

Black and rufous elephant shrews live in monogamous pairs, defending hectare-sized territories. Each animal can make and maintain around 10 nests in one territory. The pair bond is weak and animals spend little time together. Females give birth to 1-2 babies. Females do not spend much time with their young. They visit them once a day for a brief nursing period.

Population

Population threats

Black and rufous elephant shrews' numbers are reportedly declining. These animals suffer from severe forest fragmentation and degradation from human expansion. Other threats include timber for woodcarving use, firewood, and charcoal production. Hunting for food is also a threat to this species.

Population number

According to IUCN, the Black and rufous elephant shrew is relatively common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_rufous_elephant_shrew
2. Black and Rufous Elephant Shrew on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19708/21286959

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