Mammals
Bushveld Elephant Shrew
Elephantulus intufi · also called bushveld sengi
Patrolling a cleared trail through dry thornveld vegetation, a bushveld elephant shrew shares its open savanna home with animals many times its size, a small insectivorous pair-bonder going about its business on an entirely different scale.
Overview
The bushveld elephant shrew, Elephantulus intufi, is a savanna-adapted insectivore native to dry grassland and thornveld habitat across parts of southern Africa, including Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Its tolerance for arid, open savanna conditions, monogamous pair-bonding, and carefully maintained trail network make it one of the more ecologically adaptable members of the elephant shrew order.
Small scale, shared landscape
Living alongside some of Africa’s largest grazing mammals, the bushveld elephant shrew occupies a niche entirely its own, going about a small-scale, insect-focused existence within the very same open savanna that supports animals many times its size.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable savanna and grassland habitat throughout southern Africa.
Bushveld Elephant Shrew: common questions
What kind of habitat does the bushveld elephant shrew prefer?
This species is well adapted to the dry savanna and thornveld habitat typical of much of its southern African range, tolerating limited water availability and sharing the landscape with far larger grazing mammals at an entirely different ecological scale.
Does the bushveld elephant shrew live alone or with a mate?
This species typically forms monogamous pairs that share and defend a territory together, though partners often forage separately within that shared space rather than staying constantly side by side.
How does the bushveld elephant shrew move through its territory?
This species clears and maintains trails through vegetation within its territory, using familiar, well-known routes to move quickly and avoid predators across the open savanna landscape.
Where does the bushveld elephant shrew live?
This species is native to savanna and grassland habitat across parts of southern Africa, including Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa, generally favouring drier, more open landscapes.