Details
Macroscelides proboscideus
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.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
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.
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.
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.
It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in deserts and grasslands, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
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.
