Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni
Creators: name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Don E. Wilson
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Macroscelidea
Macroscelididae
Rhynchocyon
Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni

description: 3.
White-tailed Sengi
Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni
French: Sengi de Stuhlmann / German: Dunkles Risselhindchen / Spanish: Sengi de cola blanca
Other common names: White-tailed Elephant-shrew, Stuhlmann’s Elephant-shrew, Stuhlmann’s Sengi
Taxonomy. Rhynchocyon cirner stuhlmanni Matschie, 1893,
Andunde (Bundundi) Semliki River, west of Ruwenzori, Congo Belge (about 0°40’N 29°40’E, near the Semliki River, North-Kivu Province, DR Congo).
Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni was formerly a subspecies of R. cirnei but elevated to full species by E. J. Carlen and others in 2017. Monotypic.
Distribution. N DR Congo and Uganda;
perhaps near Bangui, S Central African Republic.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 242-303 mm, tail 220-265 mm, ear 29-34 mm, hindfoot 81-91 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Tail of the Whitetailed Sengi is ¢.90% of head-body length and is proximally thick and distally
tapered. Pelage color patterns are similar to the Chequered Sengi (R. cirnei), including checkered appearance of rump and back, but tail of the White-tailed Sengi is white from near base to tip. There is clinial color variation in the dorsal pelage: yellow-brown in western distribution of DR Congo, dark black-brown in eastern distribution of DR Congo, and gray-brown in Uganda. Compared with the Chequered Sengi, nasal bones are relatively short, with extension posterior to maxillae less than 13% of condylo-basal length. Relatively short nasals and all-white tail are diagnostic for the White-tailed Sengi. Snout is long and flexible. Females have two posterior, two intermediate, and no anterior nipples. Four digits are present on each manus and pes; pollex and hallux are absent. Fifth manual digit is relatively short and has only two phalanges. Post-anal gland is well developed, and pectoral gland is absent. Dental formula is 1 0-1/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/2 (x2) = 34-36. Upper canines are relatively large. Presence of diminutive upper incisor is variable. Palatal foramina are absent. Postorbital processes are present. Karyotype is unknown.
Habitat. Forests of the Congo River Basin (closed canopies and dense leaflitter always present). Distribution of the White-tailed Sengi is disjunct from all other species of Rhynchocyon.
Food and Feeding. Diet of the White-tailed Sengiis strictly composed of invertebrates, mostly arthropods.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species, but based on other species of Rhynchocyon, the White-tailed Sengi is probably monogamous and breeds yearround. Litters probably have 1-2 young.
Activity patterns. White-tailed Sengis are fully terrestrial and exclusively diurnal. Forest-floor nests are built from leaflitter.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The White-tailed Sengi is presumably similar to the Golden-rumped Sengi (R. chrysopygus). Each member of a male—female pair probably spends most of its time independently.
Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Before being elevated to full species rank in 2017, the White-tailed Sengi was considered a Chequered Sengi, which is classified as Least Concern.
Bibliography. Allen (1922), Carlen et al. (2017), Corbet & Hanks (1968), Evans (1942), Olbricht & Stanley (2009), Rathbun (2009, 2013e).
description: Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Macroscelididae, pp. 206-234 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 227-228, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6646565