NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Karoo Rock Sengi
Elephantulus pilicaudus Smit, 2008
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 Karoo rock sengi or Karoo rock elephant shrew (Elephantulus pilicaudus) is a species of small mammal belonging to the sengi family (Macroscelididae). It is found in Northern Cape Province and Western Cape Province in South Africa. While they are endemic to South Africa region Nama-Karoo, their extent of occurrence has increased to 28% and recently has been widespread to Roggeveld vegetation types in Succulent Karoo.
Wikipedia contributors, Karoo rock sengi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:06:39.189320+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Elephantulus pilicaudus Smit, 2008
- Name authority
- Smit, 2008
- Common name
- Karoo Rock Sengi
- 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 pilicaudus Smit, 2008
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Short-snouted Elephant ShrewElephantulus brachyrhynchus (A. Smith, 1836) | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| 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 |
| Dusky Elephant ShrewElephantulus fuscus (Peters, 1852) | MacroscelididaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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=1226773 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:C9RRF. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.