Senġi

Is-Senġijiet  huma mammiferi insettivori Afrikani ta' daqs żgħir. Dawn jagħmlu parti mill-familja Macroscelididae, fl-ordni Macroscelidea. L-isem senġi gej minn lingwi Bantu Afrikani).

Huma mifruxin sew miż-żona subsaħarjana lejn in-nofsinhar tal-Afrika u għalkemm m' huma komuni imkien, kważi tista' issibhom f' kull tip ta' ambjent; mid-deżert tan-Namibja, għall-foresti tal-Afrika ta' isfel. Is-Senġi tal-Afrika ta' Fuq kif jghid l-isem komuni tiegħu huwa l-unika speċi li jgħix fl-ambjent xott tal-pajjiżi fil-Majjistral tal-kontinent Afrikan.

Deskrizzjoni

It-18-il speċi jvarjaw fid-daqs bejn wieħed u ieħor minn 100 millimetru sa ftit aktar minn 300 millimetru u jiżnu minn ftit anqas minn 50 gramma għal ftit aktar minn 700 gramma. Kollha kemm huma jimxu fuq erba' saqajn li huma pjuttost twal għal ġisimhom u għalkemm it-tul ta' mnieħirhom ivarja minn speċi għall-ohra, kollha kapaċi jilwu t-tromba jew il-proboxxidi 'l hemm u 'l hawn waqt it-tfittxija għall-ikel. 

Dieta

Il-parti l-kbira tad-dieta tagħhom tikkonsisti minn insetti, dud u brimb li jsibu mal-art qalb il-weraq.

Klassifikazzjoni
Fil-passat is-senġijiet kienu, ikklassifikati fl-ordni Insectivora flimkien mal-ġriedem ta' geddumhom twil u l-qniefed, ikkunsidrati bħala relatati fil-bogħod mal-Ungulati, miġburin fi grupp flimkien mat-tupaji u meqjusin parti mill-ordni Lagomorpha mal-fniek, liebri u l-piki. Madankollu, evidenzi molekolari reċenti, b' saħħa jissapportjaw is-superordni Afrotheria li jaqqagħad flimkien, it-tenreki u t-talpi dehbin ma' ċerti ungulati jew mammiferi li xi darba kienu meqjusin ungulati li jinkludu l-iraċi, l-iljunfanti, il-baqar tal-baħar u l-oritteropi, kif ukoll is-senġijiet.

Instabu numru ta' speċijiet fossili, kollha kemm huma mil-kontinent Afrikan. Uħud, bħal Myohyrax, tant kienu simili tal-iraċi li għal bidu kienu identifikati ħażin bħala tali, filwaqt li oħrajn, bħal pereżempju Mylomygale kienu relativament qishom gerriema. Dawn il-forom kienu kollha estinti sal-Plejstoċen. 

Senġijiet hemm madwar 19-il speċi mqasmin ma' 4 ġeneri u 1 minnhom huwa monotipiku.

 Ordni Macroscelidea
 Familja Macroscelididae
 Sottofamilja Macroscelidinae
 Ġeneru Elephantulus
 Senġi ta' wiċċu qasir, Elephantulus brachyrhynchus
 Senġi ta' Kap, Elephantulus edwardii
 Senġi ta' saqajħ skuri, Elephantulus fuscipes
 Senġi skur, Elephantulus fuscus
 Senġi tal-buxxveld, Elephantulus intufi
 Senġi tal-blat tal-Lvant, Elephantulus myurus
 Senġi tal-blat tal-Karù, Elephantulus pilicaudus
 Senġi tas-Somalja, Elephantulus revoili
 Senġi tal-Afrika ta' Fuq, Elephantulus rozeti
 Senġi ħamrani, Elephantulus rufescens
 Senġi tal-blat tal-Punent, Elephantulus rupestris
 Ġeneru Macroscelides
 Senġi ta' widnejħ tondi tan-Namib, Macroscelides flavicaudatus
 Senġi ta' widnejħ tondi ta' Etendeka, Macroscelides micus
 Senġi ta' widnejħ tondi tal-Karù, Macroscelides proboscideus
 Ġeneru Petrodromus
 Senġi ta' erbat iswaba, Petrodromus tetradactylus
Sottofamilja Rhynchocyoninae 
 Ġeneru Rhynchocyon
 Senġi ta' taħt dahru dehebi, Rhynchocyon chrysopygus
 Senġi ċċangjat, Rhynchocyon cirnei
 Senġi iswed u aħmar, Rhynchocyon petersi
 Senġi ta' wiċċu griż. Rhynchocyon udzungwensis

Referenzi
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Ħoloq esterni
Vidjo fuq BBC.
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