Why Sengis (Elephant-Shrews) are Extreme

Academy research associate Galen Rathbun provides a behind the scenes look into Academy collections and describes why sengis (also known as elephant-shrews) are extreme. There is perhaps no group of animals with a more colorful history of misunderstood ancestry than sengis - small mammals that sport the spindly legs and speed of an antelope, the flexible snout and long tongue of an anteater, and the tail of amouse. Recent DNA testing has revealed that sengis are actually part of an ancience group of African animals whose closest relatives include elephants, sea cows, and the aardvark.

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Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• sengi
• elephant-shrew
• african animals
• monogamy
• extreme mammals
• galen rathbun
• california academy of sciences