Editing Elephant shrew (section)

==Behavior and ecology==
Although mostly diurnal<ref>Conniff, Richard. ''Shrewd Configuration'', [[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]], June 2005. pp. 26-28.</ref> and very active, they are difficult to trap and very seldom seen; elephant shrews are wary, well camouflaged, and adept at dashing away from threats. Several species make a series of cleared pathways through the undergrowth and spend their day patrolling them for insect life. If the animal is disturbed, the pathway provides an obstacle-free escape route.

Elephant shrews are solitary animals, despite many species living in [[monogamy in animals|monogamous]] pairs. They share and defend their home territory, which is marked using their [[scent gland]]s.<ref name=EoM/> Scent markings are also used for mate attraction.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rathbun |first1=Galen B. |last2=Woodall |first2=Peter F. |date=March 2002 |title=A bibliography of elephant-shrews or sengis (Macroscelidea) |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2907.2002.00092.x |journal=Mammal Review |language=en |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=66–70 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2907.2002.00092.x |bibcode=2002MamRv..32...66R |issn=0305-1838|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Short-eared elephant shrews inhabit the dry steppes and stone deserts of southwestern Africa. They can even be found in the [[Namib Desert]], one of the driest regions of the earth. Females drive away other females, while males try to ward off other males. Although they live in pairs, the partners do not care much for each other and their sole purpose of even associating with the opposite sex is for reproduction. Social behaviors are not very common and they even have separate nests. The one or two young are well developed at birth; they are able to run within a few hours.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Short-eared elephant-shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus) - A "living fossil" from the Namib-desert|url=http://magazine.naturspot.de/text/elephant-shrew.html|publisher=Natur Spot|access-date=1 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719065315/http://magazine.naturspot.de/text/elephant-shrew.html|archive-date=19 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Female elephant shrews undergo a [[menstrual cycle]] similar to that of human females, making it one of the few nonprimate mammals to do so.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=van der Horst|first1=Cornelius|last2=Gillman|first2=Joseph|year=1941|title=The menstrual cycle in Elephantulus|journal=The South African Journal of Medical Sciences|volume=6|pages=27–47}}</ref> Elephant shrews were used in the 1940s to study the human menstruation cycle.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.placenta.2018.05.010|pmid=29941170|title=Classics revisited: C. J. Van der Horst on pregnancy and menstruation in elephant shrews|journal=Placenta|volume=67|pages=24–30|year=2018|last1=Carter|first1=A.M.|s2cid=49414099 |url=https://portal.findresearcher.sdu.dk/da/publications/f010ba28-068b-40da-b267-0406fc19c784}}</ref> The elephant shrew mating period lasts for several days. After mating, the pair will return to their solitary habits. After a [[gestation]] period varying from 45 to 60 days, the female will bear litters of one to three young several times a year. The young are born relatively well developed, but remain in the nest for several days before venturing outside.<ref name=EoM/>

After five days, the young's milk diet is supplemented with mashed insects, which are collected and transported in the cheek pouches of the female. The young then slowly start to explore their environment and hunt for insects. After about 15 days, the young will begin the migratory phase of their lives, which lessens their dependency on their mother. The young will then establish their own home ranges (about {{convert|1|sqkm|abbr=on}}) and will become sexually active within 41–46 days.<ref name="Rathbun-1992">{{Cite journal|last=Rathbun|first=Galen B.|date=September 1992|title=The Fairly True Elephant-Shrew|journal=Natural History|location=New York|volume=101}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://members.aon.at/ruesselspringer/indexe.html|title=Short-eared Elephant-Shrews|first=Regina|last=Unger|access-date=1 February 2010}}</ref>

The thermal characteristics of elephant shrews with similar body size, habitat and distribution are very close in most of the classifications.  They can maintain homeothermy in different ambient temperatures where most of the species regulate their body temperature at 35&nbsp;°C and neither become hyperthermic but they balance the heat offload by increasing the EWL (evaporative water loss).<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1016/0306-4565(95)00003-F| title=The thermal biology of three southern African elephant-shrews| journal=Journal of Thermal Biology| volume=20| issue=6| pages=445–450| year=1995| last1=Downs| first1=Colleen T.| last2=Perrin| first2=M.R.| bibcode=1995JTBio..20..445D}}</ref>

===Feeding habits===
Elephant shrews mainly eat [[insects]], [[spiders]], [[centipedes]], [[millipedes]], and [[earthworms]]. While awake, as much as 80% of their time may be spent foraging.<ref name="y287">{{cite book | last1=Cooke | first1=F. | last2=Bruce | first2=J. | title=The Encyclopedia of Animals: A Complete Visual Guide | publisher=University of California Press | year=2004 | isbn=978-0-520-24406-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2V1tHqi4hLEC&pg=PA243 | access-date=2 August 2024 | page=243}}</ref> An elephant shrew uses its nose to find prey and uses its tongue to flick small food into its mouth, much like an [[anteater]]. Eating large prey can pose a challenge; an elephant shrew struggling with an earthworm must first pin its prey to the ground with a forefoot. Then, turning its head to one side, it chews pieces off with its cheek teeth, much like a dog chewing a bone. This is a sloppy process, and many small pieces of worm drop to the ground; these are simply flicked up with the tongue. Some elephant shrews also feed on small amounts of plant matter, especially new leaves, seeds, and small fruits.<ref name="Rathbun-1992"/>