Species of giant elephant shrew discovered
Maroon-thighed mammal found in remote Kenya forest:
Kate Ravilious
Sporting dark red thighs and a black behind, a two-foot-long
(0.6-meter-long) elephant shrew recently spotted in Kenya may be a new
species, scientists say. If confirmed, the colorful creature would be
the 18th known species of elephant shrew, all of which are native to
Africa.
Biologist Grace Wambui stumbled across the odd animal while searching
for the rare golden-rumped elephant shrew in the mostly inaccessible
Boni-Dodori coastal forest in northeastern Kenya.
A camera-trap picture shows the potentially new species of
elephant shrew in Kenya. Image courtesy Zoological Society
of London |
Wambui, a fellow at the Zoological Society of London’s EDGE of
Existence program, didn’t recognize the new elephant shrew’s markings.
After observing the mystery animal, Wambui and colleagues set up a
network of camera traps, which were triggered by the elephant shrews’
heat and movement.
To date, the cameras have snapped more than 20 pictures of the
elusive beasts, which appear to be active during daylight hours.
“The new animal has grizzled, yellow-brown sides, shoulders, and
back; maroon thighs; and a jet-black lower rump,” said team member and a
conservation biologist at the zoological society Raj Amin said.
Elephant shrews are divided into two categories: giant elephant
shrews and small, soft furred elephant shrews. The newfound creature is
similar in size to the other four known giant elephant shrews.
The animal has big ears and eyes, thin legs, and a long, wiry tail.
The mammals most likely live on a diet of insects, foraging under the
leaf litter of the forest floor with their long noses.
The scientists also think they may have seen nests belonging to the
species.
“The nests were usually well hidden beneath trees and shrubs, and
(were) comprised of shallow depressions layered with dead leaves to make
a small raised bump on the forest floor,” Wambui said.
“New” elephant shrew already at risk
First described formally by scientists in the 19th century, elephant
shrews were originally thought to be relatives of shrews, small,
insect-eating mammals that resemble mice but are not true rodents.
Research later revealed that elephant shrews have more in common
genetically with a group of African mammals that includes elephants,
aardvarks, and golden moles.
To confirm that the newfound elephant shrew is a new species, the
scientists will need to collect DNA samples and carry out genetic
analysis.
The odd animal likely went undetected until now because little
research has occurred in the Boni-Dodori forest due to its proximity to
war-torn Somalia (see a map of the region).
But improved security has opened up the region, and Wambui and Amin
are now concerned that the possibly new elephant shrew’s habitat will be
threatened by forest clearance and illegal logging activities.
National Geographic News |