Cape Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus edwardii)
Cape Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus edwardii)
A relatively common animal in South Africa is the Cape Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus edwardii) preferring rocky areas. It is insectivorous and also a good pollinator as it uses its slender tongue to feed on insects or propagate nectar lily. It is also called the Cape rock sengi or Cape rock elephant-shrew. The Cape elephant shrew is nocturnal. Other features it has are a long proboscis and tongue. Besides, it is quick because of its long hind limbs and short forelimbs. This enables it to jump from one rock or boulder to another in its natural habitat.
The Cape Elephant Shrew has a body length in the range of 8.7”-11.4” (22-29 cm) and total weight of 1.4-2.9 oz (40-83 g). The Cape Elephant Shrew has a rough standing height between 5.9”-7.7” (15-19.5 cm), body width of 4.3”-5.7” (11-14.5 cm), and tail length of 8.7”-10.2” (22-26 cm). The typical lifespan of the Cape Elephant Shrew is between 2-6 years.
A relatively common animal in South Africa is the Cape Elephant Shrew (Elephantulus edwardii) preferring rocky areas. It is insectivorous and also a good pollinator as it uses its slender tongue to feed on insects or propagate nectar lily. It is also called the Cape rock sengi or Cape rock elephant-shrew. The Cape elephant shrew is nocturnal. Other features it has are a long proboscis and tongue. Besides, it is quick because of its long hind limbs and short forelimbs. This enables it to jump from one rock or boulder to another in its natural habitat.
The Cape Elephant Shrew has a body length in the range of 8.7”-11.4” (22-29 cm) and total weight of 1.4-2.9 oz (40-83 g). The Cape Elephant Shrew has a rough standing height between 5.9”-7.7” (15-19.5 cm), body width of 4.3”-5.7” (11-14.5 cm), and tail length of 8.7”-10.2” (22-26 cm). The typical lifespan of the Cape Elephant Shrew is between 2-6 years.
