Macroscelidea, from Greek μακρός (makros, “large”), and Greek word σκελός (skelos, “leg”), meaning “large legs”, refers to the long, slender legs of these animals, which resemble those of elephants in proportion to their body size.

Common names of members

Elephant shrews.

Distribution

Africa.

Size

Size varies: small silky anteater: 35 cm, sloths: 50-70 cm, giant anteater: 180 cm long

Morphology

With scaly tails, long snouts, large eyes and ears, and relatively lengthy legs for their size, these small, quadrupeds resemble rodents or opossums and are used to moving around like rabbits. 

Habitat & Ecology

Almost any type of habitat, from boulder-strewn outcrops, dry steppes and stone deserts  to thick forests. 

Diet

Their primary diet consists of earthworms, spiders, centipedes, and millipedes.

Reproduction 

Males attempt to ward off rival males, while females drive other females away. They live in couples, but the partners don't really care for one another; the only reason they even associate with the other sex is to procreate. They even have separate nests, and social behaviors are uncommon. The young — one or two — are well-developed at birth and can run in a matter of hours.

Total species known

20

Species in the collection

1

Species in Hong Kong

0

References

Pough, F. H., Janis, C. M., Heiser, J. B. (2012). Vertebrate Life. Pearson.

Macdonald, D. W. (2006). The Encyclopedia of mammals. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199206087.001.0001.

Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press