Wild Facts

Hi folks!  Well, I am coming to you  from my hotel room in Vancouver.  There seems to be some issues with my computer so I will try my best to get this posted.  I thought we would take an adventure to learn about a tiny little creature called the Elephant Shrew.  This cute little guy can only be found in Africa.

The Elephant Shrew is also known as the jumping shrew since they can hop like a rabbit using their long back legs.  You think this feature would have people calling them “rabbit shrews” but that is not the case. Instead, people likened the resemblance of the shrews long nose to that of the trunk of an elephant. I guess it is the simplest things that makes the most sense when naming animals.

If you have taken a trip to Africa and feel disappointed that you did not get a chance to witness this shrew up close and personal, don’t feel too bad since they are very seldom seen.  The elephant shrew is careful and very well camouflaged for their environment.  They will often dart away from any potential threat before they other animal even knows they are around.  The shrew will even plan potential escape routes to make sure they get away.  They will actually clear out paths through the bush that they will use to hunt for insects all day long.  These paths provide a great way out of any dangerous situation.  I guess they are the Houdini of the small mammal world.

Oddly enough the elephant shrew will live in pairs in order to defend their territory.  You might be thinking that this doesn’t sounds like odd behaviour at all.  It is when you factor in the fact that the pair doesn’t care too much for each other. The main purpose for this pairing is for reproduction.  In fact, they will even have separate nests that they live in.  This does not sound like a very happy marriage.  Although, just think of the sweet “Bachelor Nest” the male probably has set up.

Well, I hope you enjoyed today’s Wild Fact coming to you all the way from my hotel in Vancouver.  Have a great day!