Kingdom Animalia Order Macroscelidea Genus Rhynchocyon Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Family Macroscelididae Scientific name Rhynchocyon petersi Higher classification Rhynchocyon | |
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Similar Rhynchocyon, Elephant shrew, Rufous elephant shrew, Mammal, Golden‑rumped elephant shrew | ||
Steppeslurfhondje in de antwerpse zoo black and rufous elephant shrew at zoo antwerpen
The black and rufous elephant shrew (Rhynchocyon petersi), or the black and rufous sengi, is one of the 17 species of elephant shrew found only in Africa. Like other members of the genus Rhynchocyon, it is a relatively large species, with adults averaging about 28 cm (11 in) in length and 450-700 g (1.0-1.5 lb) in weight. It is native to Kenya and Tanzania. It eats insects (including beetles, termites, and ants) and spiders, supplementing this with fruits and seeds.
Several zoos have begun breeding this elephant shrew, including the Philadelphia Zoo in the United States. Two black and rufous elephant shrew males were born on February 4, 2007, at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They are now kept at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.
