New species of giant elephant shrew discovered in Tanzania
The new giant elephant shrew found in Tanzania
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Friday, 01, Feb 2008 09:38
A new species of the giant elephant shrew has been discovered for the first time in over 126 years in the mountains of Tanzania.
Until recently only 15 species of elephant shrews, also called sengis, were known to scientists.
But in March last year a team including researchers from the California Academy of Sciences and the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences confirmed the existence of a new species.
Named the grey-faced sengi (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis), the shrew was found in two high-altitude forest blocks in south-central Tanzania.
It weighs about 700g - more than 25 per cent larger than any other known sengi - and has unique features including a distinctive grey face and a jet-black lower rump.
"This is one of the most exciting discoveries of my career," said Galen Rathbun of the California Academy of Sciences, who has studied the ecology, social structure, and evolution of sengis for more than 30 years.
"From the moment I first lifted one of the animals into our photography tent, I knew it must be a new species - not just because of its distinct coloring, but because it was so heavy!"
The location where the new giant elephant shrew was discovered - the Udzungwa Mountains - has a high level of biodiversity, including many species that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth.
Other new species found there in recent years include the Udzungwa partridge, a monkey known as the kipunji and the Phillips' Congo shrew.
Researchers behind the latest find say it emphasises the need for conservation efforts in the Udzungwa Mountains.
"We hope that new discoveries like ours will help bolster efforts to conserve this spectacular ecosystem," commented Dr Rathbun.
The new discovery is detailed in the Journal of Zoology.