The existence of a new species of giant elephant-shrew that lives only in two high-altitude forest blocks in the mountains of south-central Tanzania has been confirmed by biologists.
Galen Rathbun of the California Academy of Sciences and a collegues made the discovery of the creatures in March 2006.
Rathbun explained that “It is the first new species of giant elephant-shrew to be discovered in more than 126 years. From the moment I first lifted one of the animals into our photography tent, I knew it must be a new species—not just because of its distinct coloring, but because it was so heavy!” The new species, which has been named the grey-faced sengi (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis), weighs about 700 grams, which is more than 25 percent larger than any other known sengi.
Like shrews, these small, furry mammals eat mostly insects. They are more closely related to elephants than to shrews according to recent molecular research. These shrews are memebers of a supercohort called Afrotheria that evolved in Africa over 100 million years ago, their relatives include elephants, sea cows, and the aardvark.
|
image: Wikipedia - Elephant Shrew |