Rhynchocyon cirnei

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	MACROSCELIDEA	MACROSCELIDIDAE

Scientific Name:

Rhynchocyon cirnei

Species Authority:

Peters, 1847

Common Name/s:

English

–

Checkered Sengi, Checkered Elephant Shrew, Chequered Elephant-shrew

Taxonomic Notes:

In the past the single family was included in the order Insectivora, but now the family is in the monophyletic order Macroscelidea and the newly created super-cohort Afrotheria. Currently, there are 17 living species recognized in four genera. The soft-furred sengis or elephant-shrews include three genera: Macroscelides and Petrodromus are each monospecific, while Elephantulus contains 11 species. The four 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 Soricomorpha. See the Afrotheria Specialist Group web site for additional information.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Near Threatened ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Rathbun, G.B.

Evaluator/s:

Rathbun, G. (Afrotheria Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
There is virtually no specific information available on the status of the Checkered Sengi. However, because of the similarity of its habitat requirements and natural history to the Golden-rumped Sengi (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus), it is probably a safe assumption that it is experiencing similar conservation problems. These include loss and fragmentation of forest habitat due to human activities, with an assumed decline in numbers as habitats are degraded and lost. Because this species has a relatively wide geographic distribution compared to the Golden-rumped Sengi, it probably is not yet as threatened. However, unless forest conservation measures are implemented, it is expected to become Vulnerable in the near future. Additional data, or continued destruction of its forest habitats, might indicate that this sengi may become Vulnerable by meeting criterion A.

History:

2006	–	Near Threatened (IUCN 2006)
1996	–	Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The species occurs in central Africa, from Mozambique north of the Zambezi River; highlands associated with the Rift Valley system in Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania; western Uganda; south-eastern Tanzania; and Democratic Republic of Congo between the Congo and Ubangi Rivers (Corbet and Hanks 1968; Kingdon 1974). In some generalized distribution maps R. cirnei is shown to occur in extreme southern Central African Republic, based on a single individual reputed to have been collected between Bangui and Mbaiki west of the Ubangi River; this would be the only record west of the Ubangi River and unless confirmed, this does not seem likely (Corbet and Hanks 1968).
Countries:	Native: Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Malawi; Mozambique; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Zambia Presence uncertain: Central African Republic
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	There are no data on the relative abundance of Checkered Sengi populations. However, given the similarity to the Golden-rumped Sengi (R. chrysopygus), there is good reason to believe that similar population declines are occurring in R. cirnei.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The Checkered Sengi is restricted to montane and lowland forests, closed-canopy woodlands, and riparian thickets where the substrate is usually covered with dense leaf litter. These habitats are often fragmented and isolated due to natural and anthropogenic activities, resulting in isolated and sometimes small populations of this sengi. The fragmented nature of its occurrence is not illustrated in most distribution maps. Although there are no systematic field studies of R. cirnei, based on its general morphology, habitat associations, diurnality, nesting habits, and locomotion it is very likely that it's behavioral ecology is similar to that of the Golden-rumped Sengi. These similarities include monogamy, a relatively low reproductive rate, highly precocial neonates (litter 1–2), and a diet of leaf litter invertebrates.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

The Checkered Sengi is restricted to montane and lowland forests, closed-canopy woodlands, and riparian thickets where the substrate is usually covered with dense leaf litter. These habitats are often fragmented and isolated due to natural and anthropogenic activities, resulting in isolated and sometimes small populations of this sengi. The fragmented nature of its occurrence is not illustrated in most distribution maps. Although there are no systematic field studies of R. cirnei, based on its general morphology, habitat associations, diurnality, nesting habits, and locomotion it is very likely that it's behavioral ecology is similar to that of the Golden-rumped Sengi. These similarities include monogamy, a relatively low reproductive rate, highly precocial neonates (litter 1–2), and a diet of leaf litter invertebrates.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, decline in forested areas, and quality of habitats due to human activities, similar to that documented for the Golden-rump Sengi, Rhynchocyon chrysopygus. Of potential concern are two subspecies of Checkered Sengi: R. c. hendersoni is restricted to an isolated montane forest in Malawi, which may be disappearing due to clearing (Nicoll and Rathbun 1990), and R. c. cirnei, which is known only from the type specimen from a restricted area in coastal Mozambique where little recent information is available on the status of the forested area. Habitat loss may also threaten other subspecies with restricted distributions, such as R. c. macrurus in the coastal areas of southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. Hunting for food is also likely to be a localized threat in parts of the range (e.g., Nielsen 2006).

Major Threat(s):

Vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, decline in forested areas, and quality of habitats due to human activities, similar to that documented for the Golden-rump Sengi, Rhynchocyon chrysopygus. Of potential concern are two subspecies of Checkered Sengi: R. c. hendersoni is restricted to an isolated montane forest in Malawi, which may be disappearing due to clearing (Nicoll and Rathbun 1990), and R. c. cirnei, which is known only from the type specimen from a restricted area in coastal Mozambique where little recent information is available on the status of the forested area. Habitat loss may also threaten other subspecies with restricted distributions, such as R. c. macrurus in the coastal areas of southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. Hunting for food is also likely to be a localized threat in parts of the range (e.g., Nielsen 2006).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Except for indirect protection in reserves and parks, there are no specific conservation initiatives directed towards this species. However, efforts to protect primates and antelopes in forest habitats may indirectly benefit R. cirnei.

Conservation Actions:

Except for indirect protection in reserves and parks, there are no specific conservation initiatives directed towards this species. However, efforts to protect primates and antelopes in forest habitats may indirectly benefit R. cirnei.

Citation:	Rathbun, G.B. 2008. Rhynchocyon cirnei. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 November 2009.
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