It seems like the Tanazian forests on the Udzungwa Mountains
are the home of many mysteries and unknown species. Because of the age,
isolation and fragmented nature of the forests the mountains, which are stretching
from southern Kenya to
south-central Tanzania,
has become a natural reservation for many species that cannot be found anywhere
else on Earth.
Galen Rathbun of the California Academy of Sciences,
Francesco Rovero of the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences, and a team of
collaborators report one of the latest discoveries.
In a report which will be published in the February 4 issue
of The Journal of Zoology, they confirmed the existence of a new species of elephant-shrews
or sengi.
The new species, which has been named the grey-faced sengi, Rhynchocyon
udzungwensis, weighs about 700 grams (1.5 pounds) and measures about 30cm
(12in) in length, which is more than 25 percent larger than any other known
sengi, the scientists said.
Francesco Rovero of the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences in
Italy first caught a glimpse
of the new creature on film in 2005 in the remote Ndundulu
Forest in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountainsby.
Intrigued by the photos of an elephant-shrew that looked
unfamiliar, the Italian scientist sent the photos to Dr. Galen Rathbun of the
California Academy of Sciences. In March 2006 they embarked on a two-week
expedition with a team of colleagues to search for specimens to confirm the
discovery.
“This is one of the most exciting discoveries of my career,”
said Rathbun, who has studied the ecology, social structure, and evolution of
sengis for more than 30 years. “It is the first new species of giant
elephant-shrew to be discovered in more than 126 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 elephant-shrews are intriguing animals, named this way
because early scientists because of their long, flexible snouts. Ironically,
recent molecular research has shown that they are actually more closely related
to elephants than to shrews. The mammal uses its long, flexible nose and tongue
to flick up insects, such as termites, and it is most active in daylight.
Until recently, only 15 species of elephant-shrews, also
called sengis to avoid confusion with true shrews, were known to science.
However, the expedition of the scientists has prove to be a
total success, after they were capable to capture four animals and make 40 observations.
"Elephant shrews are only found in Africa.
They were originally described as shrews because they superficially resembled
shrews in Europe and in America,”
explained Dr. Galen Rathbun.
In his dissertation from 1976, “The Ecology and Social
Structure of the Elephant-shrews Rhynchocyon
chrysopygus and Elephantulus rufescens”, Dr. Dr. Galen
Rathbun was the first to study the evolution of monogamy in elephant-shrews, which
maintain exclusive mating pairs.
Image Credit: F. Rovero and California
Academy Of Sciences
