Black And Rufous Elephant Shrew

About the Black And Rufous Elephant Shrew

The black and rufous sengi or black and rufous elephant shrew (Rhynchocyon petersi), also known as the Zanj sengi or Zanj elephant shrew, is one of the 17 species of sengi found only in Africa. It is native to the lowland montane and dense forests of Kenya and Tanzania. Like other members of the genus Rhynchocyon, it is a relatively large species, with adults averaging about 28 cm (11 in) in length and 450–700 g (16–25 oz) in weight.

The forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains are critical habitats for R. petersi. The Chome Forest Reserve in Tanzania is an isolated, and largely undisturbed, habitat for the shrews. Population densities in the Chome area are significantly lower than the surrounding areas, home to approximately 2700 R. petersi, thought to be the result of restricted migration and illegal human activity. It was once listed by the IUCN Red List as vulnerable, but has since been changed to a status of least concern. However, its numbers are reportedly declining; suffering from severe forest fragmentation and degradation from human expansion.

It eats insects such as beetles, termites, and centipedes, using its proboscis... Wikipedia →