Mammals
Checkered Elephant Shrew
Rhynchocyon cirnei · also called checkered sengi
Blending into dappled forest light with a mottled, checkerboard-like pattern across its back, a checkered elephant shrew forages through Central African leaf litter, its wide range helping keep it more secure than several of its more restricted forest-floor relatives.
Overview
The checkered elephant shrew, Rhynchocyon cirnei, is a distinctively patterned insectivore native to rainforest and forest habitat across a broad range spanning Central Africa. Its mottled, checkerboard-like camouflage pattern, comparatively wide geographic range among its genus, and long trunk-like nose used for foraging make it one of the more visually camouflaged and ecologically secure members of the elephant shrew order.
Camouflage built for dappled light
While its close relatives rely on bold, high-contrast colouring, the checkered elephant shrew instead takes the opposite approach, blending into the mottled play of light and shadow across the forest floor rather than standing out against it.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable rainforest and forest habitat throughout its broad Central African range.
Checkered Elephant Shrew: common questions
How did the checkered elephant shrew get its name?
This species has a mottled, checkerboard-like pattern of light and dark patches across its back, a camouflage pattern well suited to blending into the dappled light of the forest floor, which gives rise to the species' common name.
Is the checkered elephant shrew as threatened as its relatives?
No, this species remains classified as Least Concern overall, aided by its comparatively wide range across Central Africa, unlike some more geographically restricted relatives within the same genus that face greater conservation pressure.
How does the checkered elephant shrew find food?
This species uses a long, flexible, trunk-like nose to probe through leaf litter and soil in search of hidden insects and other invertebrates, a foraging technique shared across the wider elephant shrew family.
Where does the checkered elephant shrew live?
This species is native to rainforest and forest habitat across a broad range spanning Central Africa, occupying considerably more territory than several of its more range-restricted relatives.