Bianca Bartz
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This little fur ball has a trunk like an elephant, but is the size of a cat! Until now, no one knew that the Rhynochocyon udzungwensis existed as it’s remained a hidden secret of the mountains of Tanzania It’s a giant elephant shrew, also known as sengi, but really, it should have been called an eleshrew. The BBC says it “looks like a cross between a miniature antelope and a small ant eater.” “It has a grey face, a long, flexible snout, a bulky, amber body, a jet-black rump and it stands on spindly legs.” Even more bizarre is that it’s not related to a shrew at all; it actually shares a common ancestor with elephants, sea cows, aardvarks and hyraxes. I’m not sure what this means in the world of trends, but perhaps it just goes to show that while some scientists are busy creating new breeds of animals in labs (glittering gold seahorses, glow-in-the-dark cats, pigs and fish) there are still already existing species ready to be discovered.  It uses its long, flexible nose and tongue to flick up insects, such as termites, and it is most active either at dawn, dusk, or during the day.
Dr Rathbun added: "They are behaviourally fairy simple - they are not like a dog or cat you can interact with - but they are so bizarre-looking and a lot of their behavioural ecology is so unique and interesting, you kind of get wrapped up with them."
The scientists say there is still much to learn about the Rhynochocyon udzungwensis, but they hope further research will help to answer questions about how many of the animals exist, their range and how closely the animals live together.
(news.bbc)References: news.bbc Filed In: |
