Elephant shrews, also known as sengis, are small African mammals easily recognized by their distinctively long, flexible snouts. These creatures are not rodents or true shrews, but they are widespread across various African habitats, from arid deserts to dense forests, and are known for their high activity levels. Their unique appearance and constant foraging activity hint at specialized feeding habits. Understanding what they eat provides insight into their role within the African ecosystem.
The Direct Answer: Are Ants a Primary Food Source?
Elephant shrews are primarily insectivores, meaning their diet consists overwhelmingly of insects and other small invertebrates. Ants are indeed a component of their diet, but they are generally consumed as part of a broader menu rather than being the sole primary food source. Most species of sengi are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat whatever suitable prey is most readily available in their immediate environment.
The importance of ants versus other prey often depends on the specific sengi species and its habitat. Termites are frequently a more significant dietary staple than ants for many elephant shrews due to their colonial nature and potentially higher caloric density. Smaller sengi species, particularly those in the genus Elephantulus, are known to feed mainly on both ants and termites.
What Makes Up Their Main Diet?
The diet of an elephant shrew is dominated by a variety of invertebrates, establishing them firmly as hunters of small arthropods. Beyond ants and termites, these mammals actively consume beetles, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and earthworms. They spend a large portion of their active hours foraging, a necessity given their relatively high metabolic rate.
While their primary focus is on animal matter, most elephant shrews also supplement their intake with small amounts of plant material. This vegetation, which includes seeds, roots, fruits, and tender shoots, provides important variety and moisture, particularly for species living in arid or semi-arid environments.
Unique Foraging and Hunting Methods
Elephant shrews possess specialized physical adaptations and behavioral patterns that allow them to efficiently acquire their food. Their most distinctive feature is the long, flexible snout, which they use to probe leaf litter and soil with near-constant motion. This highly sensitive proboscis acts like a sensory radar, helping them locate minute prey through touch and smell.
Once prey is located, the snout is quickly flicked out of the way, and a long, slender tongue rapidly shoots out to snatch up the insect. Many species maintain a complex network of cleared pathways within their territory, which they patrol regularly. These established trails allow for quick, obstacle-free movement, essential for escaping predators or rapidly pursuing prey once detected.
Elephant Shrews: Not True Shrews
Despite their common name, elephant shrews are not genetically related to the true shrews, which belong to the family Soricidae. Molecular and genetic studies have placed them in their own distinct order, Macroscelidea, and the alternate name “sengi” is often used to avoid this taxonomic confusion.
Sengis are part of the superorder Afrotheria, a group of African mammals that includes elephants, aardvarks, and manatees, making them ironically closer relatives to an elephant than a true shrew. Unlike true shrews, which are often nocturnal and have a more generalized body plan, elephant shrews are typically diurnal, fast-moving, and have relatively long legs that allow them to run bipedally in a hopping motion. They also have a relatively large brain size compared to other small mammals.