Elephant shrew is a small insectivorous mammal native to Africa. It belongs to the group of animals called sengis.
It has an elongated, pointed head and a long, trunk-like nose (hence the name “elephant shrew”), large ears and eyes, long hind legs and a long, scaly tail. Though it resembles a shrew, it is not one. It can jump like a rabbit. Hence, it is also called a jumping shrew.
It is active during the day, but it is rarely spotted. It is good at camouflaging and dashing away from threats. It creates a series of pathways underground, which it uses to hunt its prey and also to escapes from predators. Its diet includes ants, termites, worms, grubs and spiders.
Elephant shrews live in pairs (that mate for a lifetime). They occupy territory of few acres, but spend most of the time alone (they gather only to mate).
Elephant shrews use scent glands under the tail to mark their trails and point out toward direction of food. They aggressively defend their territory against other elephant shrews (both males and females scream and fight with intruders).
Picture Credit : Google
