African Unusual Animals: Elephant Shrew

This small mammal is native to more than six African countries and is found in parts of the DRC as well as through Tanzania, parts of Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique. They prefer closed canopy woodlands and thickets where the flooring would be densely covered by leaf litter. There are a variety of Elephant Shrews found throughout the regions, with some larger and smaller shrews being native to the different regions in the area that are known to have shrew populations. The typical Elephant Shrew is usually no more than 9-12 inches long and only around 1.5 pounds in weight. They typically live on insects in their dense to open plains. The primary predator of the Elephant Shrew is snakes and birds of prey, but should they not be disturbed by any predators the standard lifespan for the Elephant Shrew is between 2-4 years. These shrews, which are actually not shrews and are only considered so because of their physical characteristics, possess a musky odour that protects them from most mammalian predators. Gestation periods are less than 2 months for these types of shrews, resulting in births around 4-5 times per year. They typically live in pairings but are rarely together although they keep track of the other through scent markings. If other elephant shrews come onto their territory they will be forcibly removed by the female if the visitor is female or by the male if the visitor is male.