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974 Featured Specimen
Short-eared elephant shrew

Details

Short-eared elephant shrew

Macroscelides proboscideus

Size
10–12 cm · 30–50 g
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Pair
Lifespan

Short-eared elephant shrew is a mammal associated with deserts and grasslands. It is carnivorous and often found in pairs. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Its range is represented here by the Afrotropics, where it uses deserts and grasslands. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.

Appearance

Typical length 10-12 cm, weight 30 g-50 g. It has a small agile rodent-like build, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.

Behavior

It is mostly active by day and often found in pairs. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.

Feeding

It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in deserts and grasslands, so movements often follow available food resources.

Reproduction

As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.

Notes

Recorded scientifically as Macroscelides proboscideus. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.