Cape elephant shrew

The Cape elephant shrew (Elephantulus edwardii),[2][3] also known as the Cape rock elephant-shrew,[1][4] or Cape rock sengi,[1] is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae. It is endemic to South Africa, although it is a relatively common animal. Its natural habitat is rocky areas.[1] Elephant shrews are not closely related to other species of shrews and to rodents such as mice.[3] E. edwardii has been observed to be a non-flying mammal pollinator of the pagoda lily (Massonia bifolia). Elephant shrews are floral pollinators due to their largely insectivorous diet.[5] Elephant-shrews are pollinators of Hyobanche atropurpurea.[6] It uses its long slender tongue to feed on the pagoda lily's nectar while getting the lily's pollen on its long nose.[4] E. edwardii is also a pollinator of Protea sulphurea.[7]

Cape elephant shrew
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Macroscelidea
Family: Macroscelididae
Genus: Elephantulus
Species:
E. edwardii
Binomial name
Elephantulus edwardii
(A. Smith, 1839)
Cape elephant shrew range
Synonyms[2]
  • Elephantulus capensis Roberts, 1924
  • Elephantulus edwardsii (Sclater, 1901)
  • Elephantulus karoensis Roberts, 1938

References
  1. Rathbun, G.B.; Smit-Robinson, H. (2015). "Elephantulus edwardii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T7136A21290344. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T7136A21290344.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. Schlitter, D.A. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. Jiang, Jin-Qing; Xia, Xiao-Jing; Wang, Lei; Liu, Chang-Zhong (2018). "Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of cape elephant shrew, Elephantulus edwardii". Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 3 (2): 738–739. doi:10.1080/23802359.2018.1483759. PMC 7799720. PMID 33474305.
  4. Petra Wester, "Sticky snack for sengis: The Cape rock elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea), as a pollinator of the Pagoda lily, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae)", Springer-Verlag, November 16, 2010. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  5. Wester, Petra (2011). "Nectar feeding by the Cape rock elephant-shrew Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea) — A primarily insectivorous mammal pollinates the parasite Hyobanche atropurpurea (Orobanchaceae)". Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 206 (12): 997–1001. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2011.05.010.
  6. Wester, Petra (2010). "Sticky snack for sengis: The Cape rock elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea), as a pollinator of the Pagoda lily, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae)". Naturwissenschaften. 97 (12): 1107–1112. doi:10.1007/s00114-010-0723-6. ISSN 0028-1042. PMID 21080154. S2CID 8649184.
  7. Kühn, N., Midgley, J. & Steenhuisen, S.-L. (2017). Reproductive biology of three co-occurring, primarily small-mammal pollinated Protea species (Proteaceae). South African Journal of Botany. 113: 337-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2017.08.020.


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