Overview

Elephantulus intufi – (A. Smith, 1836)

ANIMALIA – CHORDATA – MAMMALIA – MACROSCELIDEA – MACROSCELIDIDAE – Elephantulus – intufi

Common Names: Bushveld Sengi, Bushveld Elephant-sengi, Bushveld Elephant-shrew (English), Bosveld Klaasneus (Afrikaans)

Synonyms: Macroscelides intufi A. Smith, 1836

For general biological information on all sengi species, consult: Species accounts: Order Macroscelidea, in: Perrin, M. & Rathbun, G. B. 2013. Mammals of Africa, Volume I (Ed. by Kingdon, J., Happold, D., Hoffmann, M., Butynski, T., Happold, M. & Kalina, J.), pp. 261-278. London: Bloombury. Order Macroscelidea, in: Rathbun, G. B., (subeditor). 2005. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, 3rd edition (Ed. by Skinner, J. D. & Chimimba, C. T.), pp. 22-34. Cape Town, South Africa: Cambridge University Press; Species accounts, in: Rathbun, G. B. 2013. Mammals of Africa, Volume I (Ed. by Kingdon, J., Happold, D., Hoffmann, M., Butynski, T., Happold, M. & Kalina, J.), pp. 279-287. London: Bloomsbury; Order MACROSCELIDEA, in: Heritage, S. 2018. Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 8. Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos (D.E. Wilson and R.A. Mittermeier, eds), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. For current and more technical information, search the on-line bibliography at www.sengis.org. 

Taxonomic Note: 

In the past, the single family was included in the order Insectivora, but now the family is in the monophyletic order Macroscelidea and the superorder Afrotheria. Currently, there are 20 living species recognized in six genera. The soft-furred sengis or elephant-shrews include five genera: Petrodromus and Petrosaltator are monospecific, Macroscelides has three species, Galegeeska has two species and Elephantulus contains 8 species. The five species of giant sengis belong to the genus Rhynchocyon. The common name “sengi” is being used in place of elephant-shrew by many biologists to try and disassociate the Macroscelidea from the true shrews (family Soricidae) in the order Eulipotyphla. 

See the IUCN SSC Afrotheria Specialist Group web site and www.sengis.org for additional information.

Assessment Information

Assessor: Roxburgh, L.¹ 
Reviewer: Schradin, C.² 
Contributor: da Silva, J. M.³ 

Institutions: ¹Endangered Wildlife Trust, ²Institut pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, ³South African National Biodiversity Institute 

Previous Assessors: Rathbun, G.B. & Smit-Robinson, H. 

Previous Reviewers: Taylor, A.

Previous Contributors: Page-Nicholson, S. & Child, M.F.

Assessment Rationale

The Bushveld Sengi occurs along the northern reaches of the assessment region. The regions and habitats in which this species occurs are not generally impacted greatly by human activities, except for locally intense grazing, such as the “Bushmanland” area of South Africa, as well as mining activity. It is not known whether this species is adversely impacted by heavy grazing, but given what is known about this sengi’s life history, it probably is less influenced by this land use than many other small mammals. This species occupies quite arid habitats with considerable natural variation in environmental conditions that probably results in frequent changes in population numbers, which are natural. This is an edge of range species within the assessment region, with an extensive habitat throughout the rest of its range. Thus, we retain the Least Concern listing.

Recommended citation: Roxburgh L. 2025. A conservation assessment of Elephantulus intufi. In Patel T, Smith, C, Roxburgh L, da Silva JM & Raimondo D, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa. 

Regional population effects: Continuous distribution with rest of African range.

Reasons for Change

Reason(s) for Change in Red List Category from the Previous Assessment: No change

Red List Index

Red List Index: No change

Regional Distribution and occurrence

Geographic Range

The species occurs in southwestern Angola, Namibia (excluding the coastal Namib Desert), Botswana and northern South Africa (Corbet & Hanks 1968; Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Within the assessment region, this species occurs along the northwestern border of South Africa in the Kalahari habitats of the Northern Cape. In the North West Province, it was only recorded in the northern Kalahari vegetation types of the Savanna Biome, and was deemed fairly common (Power 2014). The species is also found in the north and northwestern areas of Limpopo Province.

Elevation / Depth / Depth Zones

Elevation Lower Limit (in metres above sea level): (Not specified)

Elevation Upper Limit (in metres above sea level): (Not specified)

Depth Lower Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified)

Depth Upper Limit (in metres below sea level): (Not specified)

Depth Zone: (Not specified)

Biogeographic Realms

Biogeographic Realm: Afrotropical

Map

Figure 1. Distribution records for Bushveld Sengi (Elephantulus intufi) within the assessment region (South Africa, Eswatini and Lesotho). Note that distribution data is obtained from multiple sources and records have not all been individually verified.

Countries of Occurrence

Click to enlarge table

Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) Occurrence

Large Marine Ecosystems: (Not specified)

FAO Area Occurrence

FAO Marine Areas: (Not specified

Climate change

As an arid-adapted species that uses burrows or shelters under rocks, the direct impact of heatwaves may be avoided, but no doubt water and food availability will be impacted by climate change. Under various climate change scenarios from 1.5 to 4°C warming, the range of this species will experience a) a 10 to 20 % decline in rainfall, b) a 2.5 to >6°C increase in temperature and c) increases in drought, and heat wave and fire risk days (Engelbrecht et al. 2024). These are significant changes and would increase the heat burden on the animals significantly. This is a diurnal species and thus active during the hottest times of the day. However, rising CO2 levels are leading to an increase in bush encroachment, and as vegetation cover is an essential habitat requirement, the species might benefit from this.

Population information

This species is widespread and can be fairly common (Rathbun & Rathbun 2006), especially on relatively firm sandy soils (but not sand dunes), but no information is available for virtually the entire South African range of the species. However, based on the relatively large specimen collections in museums, it is relatively common where it occurs. There are no published estimates of population densities.

Population Information

Continuing decline in mature individuals: Unknown

Extreme fluctuations in the number of subpopulations: (Not specified)

Continuing decline in number of subpopulations: (Not specified)

All individuals in one subpopulation: (Not specified)

Number of mature individuals in largest subpopulation: (Not specified)

Number of Subpopulations: (Not specified)

Quantitative Analysis

Probability of extinction in the wild within 3 generations or 10 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified)

Probability of extinction in the wild within 5 generations or 20 years, whichever is longer, maximum 100 years: (Not specified)

Probability of extinction in the wild within 100 years: (Not specified)

Population genetics

A population genetic study was conducted on the species in 2022, along with 3 other Elephantulus species (Crowhurst 2022). The study found that this species showed isolation by distance, suggesting that the structure seen may be a more recent finding with the movement no longer occurring between distant localities. E. intufi showed a main ancestral haplotype with several distinct haplotypes branching outwards, which suggests ecologically suitable habitat connecting the individuals of this species. Samples were taken from Namibia and from two sites in South Africa: Tswalu and Postmasburg. Animals from Tswalu were found to cluster with those from Namibia, while Postmasburg showed some level of genetic differentiation from the other sites. Considering that this species is a generalist, but also that the occurrences in Limpopo Province are far from those occurring in the Northern Cape and North West provinces (further than the Namibia samples in the study), there are unlikely to be more than three subpopulations within the assessment region. This species is considered fairly common, but we are not aware of any published estimates of population densities, so the size of existing populations cannot be reliably estimated.

Habitats and ecology

Said to inhabit more diverse habitats than other Elephantulus species, including dry savannah woodlands, bushveld, steppe, and semi-deserts (Corbet & Hanks 1968; Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Elephantulus intufi usually shelters under rocks during fire, but has also been reported to use burrows (Rathbun & Rathbun 2006), similar to the closely related Short-snouted Sengi E. brachyrynchus. It occupies less covered habitats than E. brachyrhynchus but is not found in areas that lack cover (for example, areas around pans that have short grass). For this species, cover is an essential habitat requirement and is provided by the low bushes that are scattered in the open grassland. Key vegetation types include the Kalahari vegetation type and the Savanna Biome.

Ecosystem and cultural services: Sengi species are thought to be included in San art and are therefore subject to local folklore.

IUCN Habitats Classification Scheme

Click to enlarge table

Life History

Generation Length: (Not specified)

Age at maturity: female or unspecified: (Not specified)

Age at Maturity: Male: (Not specified)

Size at Maturity (in cms): Female: 24

Size at Maturity (in cms): Male: 23

Longevity: 9.3 years (captivity; Weigl 2005)

Average Reproductive Age: (Not specified)

Maximum Size (in cms): (Not specified)

Size at Birth (in cms): (Not specified)

Gestation Time: (Not specified)

Reproductive Periodicity: (Not specified)

Average Annual Fecundity or Litter Size: 1.7

Natural Mortality: (Not specified)

Breeding Strategy

Does the species lay eggs? No

Does the species give birth to live young? Yes

Does the species exhibit parthenogenesis? No

Does the species have a free-living larval stage? No

Does the species require water for breeding? No

Movement Patterns

Movement Patterns: (Not specified)
Congregatory: (Not specified)

Systems

System: Terrestrial

General Use and Trade Information

There is no evidence that this species is used for local or international trade.

Local Livelihood: (Not specified)

National Commercial Value: (Not specified)

International Commercial Value: (Not specified)

End Use: (Not specified)

Is there harvest from captive/cultivated sources of this species? (Not specified)

Harvest Trend Comments: (Not specified)

Threats

There are no known major threats that could cause regional extinction in South Africa. However, it is possible that overgrazing could be a threat to the species.

Conservation

The species occurs in protected areas, but these are not documented so protected areas species lists should be compiled. The most important protected area in which it occurs is Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. There are no direct interventions necessary at present.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:

• Expansion of the protected area network.

Research priorities:

• Severity of intensive grazing on local subpopulations, including measurements of population densities under different grazing intensities.
• Impacts of climate change, including responses to temperature, rainfall and bush encroachment

Encouraged citizen actions:

• Citizens are encouraged to report sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iNaturalist and MammalMAP) with photographic confirmation.

Bibliography

Corbet, G.B. and Hanks, J. 1968. A revision of the elephant-shrews, family Macroscelididae. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology) 16: 1-111.

Crowhurst, E.T. 2022. The spatial genetic structure of Elephantulus rupestris (Master’s Dissertation). Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg.

Engelbrecht, F.A., Steinkopf, J., Padavatan, J., Midgley, G.F. 2024. Projections of Future Climate Change in Southern Africa and the Potential for Regional Tipping Points. In: von Maltitz, G.P., et al. Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change. Ecological Studies, vol 248. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_7. 

Everson, T.M. and Morris, CD. 2006. Conservation of biodiversity in the Maloti-Drakensberg Range. In: E.M. Spehn, Land Use Change and Mountain Biodiversity, pp. 285-291. CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA.

Heritage, S. 2018. Order MACROSCELIDEA. In Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 8. Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos (D.E. Wilson and R.A. Mittermeier, eds), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. 

Power, R.J. 2014. The distribution and status of mammals in the North West Province. Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation & Tourism, North West Provincial Government, Mahikeng.

Rathbun, G.B. and Rathbun, C.D. 2006. Social structure of the bushveld sengi (Elephantulus intufi) in Namibia and the evolution of monogamy in the Macroscelidea. Journal of Zoology 269: 391-399.

Skinner, J.D. and Chimimba, C.T. (eds). 2005. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom, Cambridge.

Weigl, R. 2005. Longevity of Mammals in Captivity; from Living Collections of the World. Kleine Senckenberg-Reihe 48: Stuttgart