Two tiny, three-month-old Sengis – also known as Round-eared Elephant Shrews – were seen by visitors to the Chester Zoo for the first time this week.

Photo Credit:  Chester Zoo
 
Weighing just one to two ounces (the same as 10 or 20 pennies), Sengis use their long snouts to sniff out insects to eat.  Food is snapped up with quick flicks of the tongue.

With long hind legs, Sengis move by hopping, similar to Rabbits.  They scurry through grass and brush, and dash to safety at the smallest signs of danger.

Sengis are related to Manatees, Aardvarks, Hyraxes, and Elephants.  Despite their former common name of Elephant Shrew, they are not true Shrews at all.  There are 19 species of Sengis, all native to Africa.  Little is known about Sengis’ habits, because they are so elusive in the wild. 

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