Head to head
Black-And-Rufous Elephant Shrew vs Checkered Elephant Shrew
The black-and-rufous elephant shrew and checkered elephant shrew both belong to the genus Rhynchocyon, but they rely on opposite visual strategies to navigate life on the forest floor.
| Black-And-Rufous Elephant Shrew | Checkered Elephant Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Rhynchocyon petersi | Rhynchocyon cirnei |
| Colour strategy | Bold black-and-rufous split | Mottled camouflage pattern |
| Native range | Coastal Kenya and Tanzania | Broad range across Central Africa |
| Range breadth | Restricted | Considerably wider |
| Relative size | Second-largest elephant shrew species | Smaller than its larger relatives |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Stable |
| Habitat | Rainforest, forest | Rainforest, forest |
Black-And-Rufous Elephant Shrew vs Checkered Elephant Shrew: common questions
Why do the black-and-rufous and checkered elephant shrews look so different?
The black-and-rufous elephant shrew relies on a bold two-tone pattern, black in front and rufous-red behind, while the checkered elephant shrew instead uses a mottled, checkerboard-like pattern to blend into the dappled light of the forest floor, two opposite strategies within the same genus, Rhynchocyon.
Which of these two species is more threatened?
The black-and-rufous elephant shrew is more threatened, classified as Near Threatened due to forest loss across its restricted coastal range in Kenya and Tanzania, while the checkered elephant shrew ranges much more broadly across Central Africa and remains classified as Least Concern.
Are these two elephant shrews closely related?
Yes, both species belong to the same genus, Rhynchocyon, sharing the same general body plan, trunk-like nose, and leaf-litter foraging technique, despite differing considerably in both colouring and geographic range.