Head to head
Four-Toed Sengi vs Checkered Elephant Shrew
The four-toed sengi and checkered elephant shrew are both forest-floor insectivores within the elephant shrew order, but each stands out for a completely different physical trait.
| Four-Toed Sengi | Checkered Elephant Shrew | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Petrodromus tetradactylus | Rhynchocyon cirnei |
| Signature feature | Only four toes on each hind foot | Mottled, checkerboard-like back pattern |
| Taxonomic status | Sole member of its genus | One of several Rhynchocyon species |
| Native range | East African coastline | Broad range across Central Africa |
| Notable behaviour | Drums hind feet as an alarm signal | Relies on camouflage over open display |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Habitat | Forest, coastal | Rainforest, forest |
Four-Toed Sengi vs Checkered Elephant Shrew: common questions
What makes the four-toed sengi's feet unusual?
This species has only four toes on each hind foot, compared with the five toes found on most other elephant shrew species including the checkered elephant shrew, an unusual foot structure that gives rise to its common name and its status as the sole member of its genus.
How does the checkered elephant shrew avoid predators?
This species relies on a mottled, checkerboard-like pattern across its back to blend into the dappled light of the forest floor, a camouflage-based strategy distinct from the four-toed sengi's alarm-drumming behaviour, which instead warns other individuals of danger rather than hiding from it.
Which of these two species has the wider range?
The checkered elephant shrew has the wider range, spreading across a broad swathe of Central Africa, while the four-toed sengi is confined to a narrower band along East Africa's coastline as the only member of its genus.