NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Short-snouted Elephant Shrew
Elephantulus brachyrhynchus (A. Smith, 1836)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The short-snouted sengi or short-snouted elephant shrew (Elephantulus brachyrhynchus) is a species of small mammal belonging to the sengi family (Macroscelididae). It is found over a wide area of Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.
Wikipedia contributors, Short-snouted sengi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:03:41.873875+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Elephantulus brachyrhynchus (A. Smith, 1836)
- Name authority
- (A. Smith, 1836)
- Common name
- Short-snouted Elephant Shrew
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Macroscelidea
- Family
- Macroscelididae
- Genus
- Elephantulus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderMacroscelidea Butler, 1956
- familyMacroscelididae Bonaparte, 1838
- subfamilyMacroscelidinae
- genusElephantulus Thomas & Schwann, 1906
- speciesElephantulus brachyrhynchus (A. Smith, 1836)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Elephantulus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Dusky-footed Elephant ShrewElephantulus fuscipes (Thomas, 1894) | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Bushveld Elephant ShrewElephantulus intufi (A. Smith, 1836) | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eastern Rock Elephant ShrewElephantulus myurus Thomas & Schwann, 1906 | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Western Rock Elephant ShrewElephantulus rupestris (A. Smith, 1831) | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Karoo Rock SengiElephantulus pilicaudus Smit, 2008 | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Dusky Elephant ShrewElephantulus fuscus (Peters, 1852) | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Macroscelides brachyrhynchus A. Smith, 1836 A. Smith, 1836 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=584912 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:398CT. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.