Elephantulus pilicaudus, Smit, 2008

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Macroscelididae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 206-234 : 234

20.

Karoo Rock Sengi

Elephantulus pilicaudus

French: Sengi du Karoo / German: Karoo-Elefantenspitzmaus / Spanish: Sengi de roca de Karoo

Other common names: Karoo Rock Elephant-shrew

Taxonomy. Elephantulus pilicaudus Smit, 2008 ,

“ Vondelingsfontein Farm , Calvinia , Northern Cape Province, South Africa (31°48’S, 19°49’E; 1,449 m above sea levcl).”

Specimens of E. pilicaudus were previously considered variants of their now sister species, E. edwardn. Detection of reciprocal monophyly for these two groups was a result of molecular phylogeographic work by H. A. Smit and others in 2008. Monotypic.

Distribution. Upper and Lower Karoo of the Nama Karoo biome, South Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 111-135 mm, tail 112-131 mm, ear 25-32 mm, hindfoot 32-36 mm; weight 38-59 g. There is no evidence of sexual dimorphism in body size. Phenotypically, Karoo Rock Sengis and Cape Rock Sengis ( E. edwardii ) are very similar, and their distinguishing features are subtle. Traits that might be used to differentiate the Karoo Rock Sengi from the Cape Rock Sengi include slightly more pronounced tail tuft and lateral pelage color that is more of a continuation of dorsal color than transition to a paler gray. For the Karoo Rock Sengi but not the Cape Rock Sengi, there may be small patches of buff-gray hair under proximal nose and near angles of mouth. On average, tail of the Karoo Rock Sengiis ¢.105% of head— body length but closer to 125% for the Cape Rock Sengi. Pinnae are broad and upright, and snout is long, thin, and flexible. Dorsum is gray to gray-brown, perhaps with tinge of yellow. Tips of some dorsal hairs are darker gray-brown or black, giving grizzled appearance. Hairs on top of head and face are similar in color to dorsal body. Venter is gray to gray-white. Color of dorsum continues onto flanks, becoming only slightly paler. Inconspicuous patches of gray-brown to orange-brown hairs behind ears extend onto nape of neck and grade into gray-brown dorsum. Long gray hairs grow along anterior margin of each pinna. Pale gray-cream eye-ring is present, without intruding post-ocular patch. Tail hairs are very short and black on dorsal side. On ventral tail, proximal hairs are paler, and distal hairs are black. Longer hairs form small tail tuft near tip. Females have two anterior, two intermediate, and two posterior nipples; males have no nipples. Five digits are present on each manus and pes. Pectoral gland is absent, and subcaudal gland is present. Dental formula is 13/3, C1/1,P 4/4. M 2/2 (x2) = 40. Canine sizes are subequal to adjacent teeth. Several bilateral pairs of palatal foramina are present. Postorbital processes are absent. Karyotype is 2n = 26.

Habitat. Rocks and scree with piles of boulders with minimal vegetation but adjacent areas of the semi-desert with low scattered shrubs and some desert succulents at elevations up to 1300 m. The Karoo Rock Sengi is endemic to Upper and Lower Karoo bioregions of Nama Karoo, South Africa. Climate is arid, with less than 250 mm of annual rainfall; temperatures in the Karoo can be extreme, ranging from -15°C in winter to more than 40°C in summer. The Karoo Rock Sengi shelters among boulders and in rock crevices.

Food and Feeding. Given the Karoo Rock Sengi’s formerstatus as a variant of the Cape Rock Sengi and the similar habitats of these species, many aspects of their basic biology, including diet, are probably similar.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Population trend of the Karoo Rock Sengi is unknown. Parts of the distributions of the Karoo Rock Sengi and the Cape Rock Sengi are closely associated. Five localities of occur rence of the Karoo Rock Sengi are recorded in South Africa that occur in 23,000 km?. There are seventeen collected voucher specimens: five from the 2000s and twelve prior to the mid-1980s. Because the Karoo Rock Sengi was separated from the Cape Rock Sengi in 2008, there have been no published reports of any life history or habitat data. No explicit threats are known, but with limited localities and biological data, no conservation assessment can be made.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hanks (1968), Rathbun (2009), Smit et al. (2008), Smit-Robinson & Rathbun (2015).

Figures

1. Golden-rumped Seng (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus), 2. Chequered Sengi (Rhynchocyon cirne), 3. White-tailed Sengi (Rhynchocyon stuhlmanni), 4. Black-and-rufous Sengi (Rhynchocyon petersi), 5. Gray-faced Sengi (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis), 6. Namib Round-eared Sengi (Macroscelides flavicaudatus), 7. Karoo Round-eared Sengi (Macroscelides proboscideus), 8. Etendeka Round-eared Sengi (Macroscelides micus), 9. Four-toed Sengi (Petrodromus tetradactylus), 10. North African Sengi (Petrosaltator rozeti), 11. Rufous Sengi (Elephantulus rufescens), 12. Somali Sengi (Elephantulus revoulii), 13. Dusky-footed Sengi (Elephantulus fuscipes), 14. Short-snouted Sengi (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus), 15. Dusky Sengi (Elephantulus fuscus), 16. Bushveld Sengi (Elephantulus intufi), 17. Western Rock Sengi (Elephantulus rupestris), 18. Eastern Rock Sengi (Elephantulus mywrus), 19. Cape Rock Sengi (Elephantulus edwardii), 20. Karoo Rock Sengi (Elephantulus pilicaudus)

Distribution. Upper and Lower Karoo of the Nama Karoo biome, South Africa.