Elephant Shrew (The Fastest Small Mammals)

Mon, 12 May 2025 23:19:41 +0000

Elephant shrews also called jumping shrews or sengis, are small insectivorous mammals native to Africa, belonging to the family Macroscelididae, in the order Macroscelidea. Their traditional common English name "elephant shrew" comes from a perceived resemblance between their long noses and the trunk of an elephant, and their superficial similarity with shrews (family Soricidae) in the order Eulipotyphla. However, phylogenetic analysis revealed that elephant shrews are not classified with true shrews, but are more closely related to elephants than shrews. They are widely distributed across the southern part of Africa, and although common nowhere, can be found in almost any type of habitat, from the Namib Desert to boulder-strewn outcrops in South Africa to thick forest.

The creature is one of the fastest small mammals, having been recorded to reach speeds of 28.8 kilometers per hour. They vary in size from about 10 to 30 centimeters, from 50 to 500 grams. Their lifespans are about two and a half to four years in the wild.

Although mostly diurnal and very active, they are difficult to trap and very seldom seen; elephant shrews are wary, well camouflaged, and adept at dashing away from threats. Several species make a series of cleared pathways through the undergrowth, the pathway provides an obstacle-free escape route.

Elephant shrews mainly eat insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and earthworms. They play a significant role in maintaining natural checks of insect populations. An elephant shrew uses its nose to find prey and uses its tongue to flick small food into its mouth, much like an anteater. Some elephant shrews also feed on small amounts of plant matter, especially new leaves, seeds, and small fruits.

Elephant shrews are not highly social animals, but many live in monogamous pairs, which share and defend their home territory, marked using scent glands. Rhynchocyon species also dig small conical holes in the soil, bandicoot-style, but others may make use of natural crevices, or make leaf nests. Although they live in pairs, the partners do not care much for each other and their sole purpose of even associating with the opposite sex is for reproduction. Social behaviors are not very common and they even have separate nests. The one or two young are well developed at birth; they can run within a few hours.

Female elephant shrews undergo a menstrual cycle similar to that of human females and the species is one of the few nonprimate mammals to do so. Elephant shrews were used in the 1940s to study the human menstruation cycle. The elephant shrew mating period lasts for several days. After mating, the pair will return to their solitary habits. After a gestation period varying from 45 to 60 days, the female will bear litters of one to three young several times a year. The young are born relatively well developed but remain in the nest for several days before venturing outside. After about 15 days, the young will begin the migratory phase of their lives, which lessens their dependency on their mother. The young will then establish their home ranges and will become sexually active within 41–46 days.

They are intolerant of close neighbors, and should one trespass into the territory it will be violently evicted. Aggressive encounters involve screaming, sparring, snapping, and kicking, all of which can happen so rapidly that it appears to be a blur of animals tumbling on the forest floor.

Generally speaking, elephant shrews do not pose much danger to humans. Elephant shrews tend to shy away from anything that could be considered dangerous or predatory, so they do not interact with humans much at all.