Which Species is The Elephant Shrew Really Related To?

Elephant Shrews are small mammals that only eat insects and are native to Africa. Elephant Shrews resemble rodents or opossums and have scaly tails, elongated snouts are relatively long legs for their size. These long legs are used to move in a hopping fashion much like rabbits. 

Elephant Shrews have been, in the past, classified with shrews and hedgehogs and lumped in with hares and rabbits. However, new evidence shows that the Elephant Shrew is related to mammals such as golden moles, aardvarks and even elephants!

The Elephant Shrew is more closely related to elephants than shrews!

What Type Of Animal Is A Kinkajou?

As with many small mammals in South America, kinkajous live in trees, hang by their tails and love to eat fruit and honey. However, they are not primates. Actually more closely-related to raccoons, kinkajous are one of only two members of the Carnivora order with prehensile tails, the other being the binturong.

Fully-grown kinkajous weigh 3-10lbs and have a total body length of 16-24 inches. In addition, their powerful tails may equal or exceed their bodies in length. Kinkajous have five toes on each foot and possess the ability to turn their back feet backwards. This allows them to descend trees headfirst.

Despite being considered carnivores, most of the kinkajou’s diet is made up of ripe fruit such as figs as well as honey. Small mammals, insects, and eggs are also eaten as well as flowers and nectar. The kinkajou’s particular feeding habits make it an important plant pollinator in the rainforest ecosystem.

Kinkajous live in the rainforest canopy ranging from southern Mexico to much of South America. They are nocturnal animals that usually forage alone in the dark of night, returning to sleep in tree holes with a family unit during daylight hours. Kinkajous can live for well over twenty years.