- kingdomAnimalia
- ›phylumChordata
- ›classMammalia
- ›orderMacroscelidea
- ›familyMacroscelididae
- ›genusElephantulus
Western Rock Elephant Shrew
Elephantulus rupestris (A.Smith, 1831)
Also calledFelsen-Elefantenspitzmaus (deu) · Klipolifantspitsmuis (nld) · Musaranya elefant roquera (cat) · Sengi del Occidente de África Austral (spa) · Sengi des rochers (fra) · Smith se Kliklaasneus (afr) · Vestklippesengi (nob) · Vestlig Klippeelefantspissmus (nob) · Westelijke Rotssengi (nld) · Westliche Elefantenspitzmaus (deu) · Westliche Klippen-Elefantenspitzmaus (deu) · lännenkalliokuonokas (fin) · ryjoskoczek skalny (pol) · Βραχόδης Ελεφαντομέγαιρα (ell)
First described in: Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. vol.1831 p.11
The western rock sengi or western rock elephant shrew (Elephantulus rupestris) is a species of small mammal in the sengi family (Macroscelididae). It is found in Namibia, South Africa, and possibly Angola and Botswana. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and rocky areas.
Smaller members of western rock sengi possess functional brown adipose tissue, which changes in thermogenic capacity depending on the season.
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
materials_examined
TYPE LOCALITY: S Africa or Namibia, mountains near mouth of Orange River.
Order Macroscelidea
materials_examined
TYPE LOCALITY: S. Africa or Namibia, mountains near mouth of Orange River.
Order Macroscelidea
activity
Activity patterns. Western Rock Sengis are fully terrestrial and mainly crepuscular, with nocturnal tendencies. Midday activity is least frequent.
Macroscelididae
biology_ecology
Habitat. Arid to semiarid rocky substrates including kopjes, outcrops, and boulder piles. Habitats of Western Rock Sengis have minimal vegetative cover but can be adjacent to relatively flat and sparsely vegetated compact sandy ground. Sheltering occurs among boulders and in rock crevices.
Macroscelididae
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Every page naming Elephantulus rupestris in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 2440844.