New Elephant-Shrew Discovered
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 16th, 2010
Dr. Galen Rathbun holds the grey-faced sengi, a recently discovered elephant-shrew much like the new one just found. Photo by David Ribble.
A giant elephant-shrew has been caught on camera in a remote African forest, which may be a new species, scientists say. In general, these are termed giant sengi. The unique and intriguing mammal, which has a long, flexible, trunk-like nose, was discovered in the Boni-Dodori forest in northeastern Kenya.
Camera traps were set up in the remote forest after Grace Wambui, a fellow of the Zoological Society of London’s Edge of Existence program spotted an elusive elephant-shrew she did not recognize.
This is an example from a similar camcorder trap video sequence of a gray-faced sengi foraging on a game trail through the Ndundulu Forest, Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Video: Trevor Jones, 4 June 2006, 1207 hours
Sometimes, a bit of comedy develops from how this news has been delivered, in a rush to put too much info in a headline. For example, the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation has posted a story entitled, “Unknown elephant relative photographed in Kenya.” Elephant-shrews, indeed, are more closely related to elephants than shrews, despite their small size, but are named for their long trunk-like snout. All elephant-shrews are found only in Africa.
Representatives of the four species of giant sengi: (a) gray-faced sengi (camera trap image), (b) black-and-rufous sengi (captive), (c) checkered sengi (camera trap image), and (d) golden-rumped sengi (captive).
Plate from Rovero, F. & G.B. Rathbun. 2006. “A potentially new giant sengi (elephant-shrew) from the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.” Journal of East African Natural History 95:111-115.
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Loren Coleman no longer writes for Cryptomundo. His archived posts remain here at Cryptomundo.
And does it answer to the name “Kate?”
Interesting news! Compared to many other mammals, some elephant-shrews are colorful, they might have to be constantly wary of predators or maybe they are toxic to them. Otherwise they looks somewhat like real-life pokémon.
Shrews are the most vicious animals on the planet, Krimeg…they’re killers, I tell you…
HAHAHAHA It looks as if the movie staff have revived a stuffed dog!