Elephant shrew

The elephant shrew, also called sengi, are any of 16 species of rat-sized African mammals named for their long, tapered, and flexible snout (proboscis).  All have slim bodies, slender limbs, and very long hind legs and feet. Although they resemble shrews, they are not insectivores but constitute the mammalian order Macroscelidea.  Long thought to be related to shrews, it wasn't until the 1990s that it was learned they are actually more closely related to elephants.

 Description 
Elephant shrews are terrestrial and are active during the day. Their ears and eyes are large, and, when alarmed, they run on their toes swiftly along paths they construct and maintain, sometimes leaping over obstacles. When foraging, they move along the pathways, using their paws and the constantly moving proboscis to turn over leaf litter and soil in search of prey, which consists of small insects (especially ants and termites), other arthropods, and earthworms. Gestation lasts two months, and litters contain one or two well-developed young.

category:Mammals of Africa
category:Mammals