Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Due to destruction of its habitat, this species is labeled “vulnerable” by the IUCN.
(Shaw, 1983)
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Possible helpful soil movement from burrowing activity.
(Unger, online)
These elephant shrews help move soil around to create their burrows as well as recycle vacant burrows left from rodent species.
(Unger, online)
Ecosystem Impact: soil aeration
Short-eared elephant shrews typically eat insects, usually termites and ants, and other small invertebrates. They may also feed on plant parts such as roots, shoots, and berries.
(Unger & Kratochvil, 1999)
Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; fruit
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore , Eats non-insect arthropods)
The short-eared elephant shrew mostly inhabits Namibia, southern Botswana, and South Africa.
(Shaw, 1983)
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
The animal only lives in desert and semi-desert areas of the countries in which it is found. It hides in the sparse grass cover or bushes that are a part of these dry areas. They also burrow into the sand.
(Smith, 1829)
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; scrub forest
In the wild, these animals only live for 1-2 years. In captivity they can live as long as 3-4 years.
(Unger, online)
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 1 to 2 years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 3 to 4 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 8.7 years.
Compared to members of the other elephant shrew genus, the short-eared elephant shrew has shorter and rounder ears and lacks the pale rings around the eyes that are typical of those animals. The tail is hairy, with a visible gland on the underside. On the hind feet, the first digit is small and has a claw. The fur is usually long, soft, and is an orange, brown or grayish color on top and a lighter color on the underside. Adults often weigh between 40-50 grams with 100-110mm long bodies and 97-130mm long tails. Defining skull features include an enlarged auditory bullae and the appearance of three upper incisors, as well as a short rostrum and crowded teeth. Females also have six mammae.
(Rathbun & Fons) (Unger, online)
Range mass: 40 to 50 g.
Range length: 100 to 110 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.292 W.
The animal usually jumps from bush to bush during the day or basks in the sun, but if harassed by diurnal predators, such as hawks, it switches its schedule and looks for food at dusk, hiding in bushes during the day. Also, by using their forelimbs these animals can dig tunnels very rapidly to quickly escape predators. Few predators prey on the young because the young mature and leave the nest shortly after birth.
(Lincoln Park Zoo, online) (Smith, 1829)
Known Predators:
The breeding season is in the warm, wet months of August and September. A female may have many pregnancies during one breeding season. (Shaw, 1934)
Mating System: monogamous
Gestation for these animals is typically about 56 days and only two young are born, sometimes one. They are born in a very precocial state; they can run within a few hours after birth, are large in size, and are born with hair and their eyes open. Babies are weaned at 16-25 days and reach sexual maturity after about 43 days. (Rathbun & Fons)
Breeding season: August and September
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 2.
Average gestation period: 56 days.
Range weaning age: 16 to 25 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 43 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 43 days.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous
Average birth mass: 7 g.
Average gestation period: 65 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.6.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 44 days.
The female does not make a nest for the young; however, she will find a sheltered area and give birth to the young in it. The mother does not guard her young and is gone from the litter most of the time, coming back once a day to feed the young. (Smith, 1829)
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care
The round-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus) or round-eared sengi (called the Karoo round-eared elephant shrew to distinguish it from its sister species;[2] formerly misleadingly named the "short-eared elephant shrew"),[3] is a species of elephant shrew (sengi) in the family Macroscelididae. It is found in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and grassland, and hot deserts.[1] They eat insects, shoots, and roots. Their gestation period is 56 days.[4]
Elephant shrews are among only a handful of monogamous mammals, making them a model group for the study of monogamy. They have been studied for their mate guarding behavior.[5] Mate guarding is considered a predominant male trait in round-eared elephant shrews. This strategy is used to guard the female before and after heat to eliminate male competition, which makes male round-eared elephant shrews monogamous and more vulnerable to their surroundings as they spent a majority of their time dedicated to this tactic. [6]
Research was recently conducted to determine that elephant shrews are thought to have dichromatic color vision due to their ability to differentiate between blue/green colors and grey. However, there is no evidence to prove that the species can see red colors. [7]
,_RP-T-1914-17-230.jpg)
The round-eared elephant shrew are native to Southeast Africa where the temperature ranges from 18°C to 6°C in the winter and 30°C to 22°C during the summer.
Round Eared elephant Shrew are omnivores with their diet mainly consisting of insects and supplemented with plants. During the winter this species consumes less insects than they do during the summer due to a decrease in the insect population.
The round-eared elephant shrew do not reproduce during the winter.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) The round-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus) or round-eared sengi (called the Karoo round-eared elephant shrew to distinguish it from its sister species; formerly misleadingly named the "short-eared elephant shrew"), is a species of elephant shrew (sengi) in the family Macroscelididae. It is found in Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and grassland, and hot deserts. They eat insects, shoots, and roots. Their gestation period is 56 days.
Elephant shrews are among only a handful of monogamous mammals, making them a model group for the study of monogamy. They have been studied for their mate guarding behavior. Mate guarding is considered a predominant male trait in round-eared elephant shrews. This strategy is used to guard the female before and after heat to eliminate male competition, which makes male round-eared elephant shrews monogamous and more vulnerable to their surroundings as they spent a majority of their time dedicated to this tactic.
Research was recently conducted to determine that elephant shrews are thought to have dichromatic color vision due to their ability to differentiate between blue/green colors and grey. However, there is no evidence to prove that the species can see red colors.
Round-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus), as described by Robert Jacob Gordon in 1779–1780.
