Cape elephant shrew
| Cape elephant shrew | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Macroscelidea |
| Family: | Macroscelididae |
| Genus: | Elephantulus |
| Species: | E. edwardii
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| Binomial name | |
| Elephantulus edwardii (A. Smith, 1839)
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| Cape elephant shrew range | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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The Cape elephant shrew (Elephantulus edwardii),endemic to South Africa, although it is a relatively common animal. Its natural habitat is rocky areas.[1] Elephant shrews are not closely related to other species of shrews and to rodents such as mice.[3] E. edwardii has been observed to be a non-flying mammal pollinator of the pagoda lily (Massonia bifolia). Elephant shrews are floral pollinators due to their largely insectivorous diet.[5] Elephant-shrews are pollinators of Hyobanche atropurpurea.[6] It uses its long slender tongue to feed on the pagoda lily's nectar while getting the lily's pollen on its long nose.[4] E. edwardii is also a pollinator of Protea sulphurea.[7]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ OCLC 62265494.
- ^ PMID 33474305.
- ^ a b Petra Wester, "Sticky snack for sengis: The Cape rock elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea), as a pollinator of the Pagoda lily, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae)", Springer-Verlag, November 16, 2010. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
- .
- S2CID 8649184.
- ^ Kühn, N., Midgley, J. & Steenhuisen, S.-L. (2017). Reproductive biology of three co-occurring, primarily small-mammal pollinated Protea species (Proteaceae). South African Journal of Botany. 113: 337-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2017.08.020.