Cape elephant shrew explained

The Cape elephant shrew (Elephantulus edwardii),^[1] also known as the Cape rock elephant-shrew^[2] or Cape rock sengi, is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae. It is endemic to South Africa, although it is a relatively common animal. Its natural habitat is rocky areas. Elephant shrews are not closely related to true shrews, nor to rodents such as mice.^[1] E. edwardii has been observed to be a non-flying mammal pollinator of the pagoda lily (Massonia bifolia). Elephant shrews are floral pollinators due to their largely insectivorous diet.^[3] Elephant-shrews are pollinators of Hyobanche atropurpurea.^[4] It uses its long slender tongue to feed on the pagoda lily's nectar while getting the lily's pollen on its long nose.^[2] E. edwardii is also a pollinator of Protea sulphurea.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Jiang . Jin-Qing . Xia . Xiao-Jing . Wang . Lei . Liu . Chang-Zhong . Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of cape elephant shrew, Elephantulus edwardii . Mitochondrial DNA Part B . 2018 . 3 . 2 . 738–739 . 10.1080/23802359.2018.1483759. 33474305 . 7799720 . free .
2. Petra Wester, "Sticky snack for sengis: The Cape rock elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea), as a pollinator of the Pagoda lily, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae)", Springer-Verlag, November 16, 2010. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
3. Wester. Petra. 2011. Nectar feeding by the Cape rock elephant-shrew Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea) — A primarily insectivorous mammal pollinates the parasite Hyobanche atropurpurea (Orobanchaceae). Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. en. 206. 12. 997–1001. 10.1016/j.flora.2011.05.010. 2011FMDFE.206..997W .
4. Wester. Petra. 2010. Sticky snack for sengis: The Cape rock elephant-shrew, Elephantulus edwardii (Macroscelidea), as a pollinator of the Pagoda lily, Whiteheadia bifolia (Hyacinthaceae). Naturwissenschaften. en. 97. 12. 1107–1112. 10.1007/s00114-010-0723-6. 21080154 . 2010NW.....97.1107W . 8649184 . 0028-1042.
5. Kühn, N., Midgley, J. & Steenhuisen, S.-L. (2017). Reproductive biology of three co-occurring, primarily small-mammal pollinated Protea species (Proteaceae). South African Journal of Botany. 113: 337-345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2017.08.020.