Elephantulus brachyrhynchus

(A. Smith, 1836)

Short-snouted Sengi

Figure 1. Photograph by R. Yarnell.

Figure 2. FMNH 16661. Photograph by R. Banasiak.

Type Description:

Rept. Exped. Exploring Central Africa, 1834:42 [1836]

Type Locality:

The country between Lake Latakoo and the Tropic (=South Africa, Northern Cape Province, Kuruman, to S Botswana).

Measurements:

Head and body: 110-138 mm

Tail length: 85-124 mm

Weight: 40 g

Description:

Elephantulus brachyrhynchus is golden on the top and lighter on the ventral surface. There is no pectoral gland present, the ears are relatively short and there are no white rings around the eyes. The tail is shorter than the length of the head and body.

Comparisons:

Elephantulus brachyrhynchus differs from the only other species in the genus found in Tanzania, Elephantulus rufescens, in having no gland marked by a spot on the center of the chest, and having a tail that is shorter than the head and body.

Figure 3.

Ecological Notes:

E. brachyrhynchus lives in holes initially created by rodents in relatively dry habitats, and eats a variety of invertebrates. These mammals often live in areas frequented by large herbivores.

Key Reference:

1. Kingdon, J. 1984. East African mammals: An atlas of evolution in Africa. (Insectivores and Bats). University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2A:66-67.
2. Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon field guide to African mammals, AP Natural World Academic Press, Harcourt Brace & Company, San Diego, p. 148.
3. Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. Sixth ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2:1739-1740, 1744-1745.
4. Swynnerton, G. H., and R. W. Hayman. 1951. A checklist of the land mammals of the Tanganyika Territory and the Zanzibar Protectorate. Journal of the East African Natural History Society, 20(6):274-392.