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Black-and-Rufous Sengi

Field Museum

Field Museum
Chicago, United States

Sengis used to be called "elephant shrews" because of their long, mobile noses and insect-eating habits. But they belong in a group all their own, which arose and diversified in Africa, where its distant cousins include aardvarks, golden moles, hyraxes, manatees, and, yes, elephants. The Sengi uses its nose to sniff out supper in leaf litter. It looks for ants, termites, and other bugs, then slurps them up with its long tongue. And when danger approaches, this foot-long furball sounds a warning by thumping its back feet.

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  • Title: Black-and-Rufous Sengi
  • Location: Tanzania
  • Type: Specimen
  • Original Source: More object information
  • Rights: (c) Field Museum of Natural History - CC BY-NC
Field Museum

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