It is hard to guess what a North African elephant shrew weights. But we have the answer:
An adult North African elephant shrew (Elephantulus rozeti) on average weights 43 grams (0.09 lbs).
The North African elephant shrew is from the family Macroscelididae (genus: Elephantulus). They can live for up to 3 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 12.8 cm (0′ 6″). On average, North African elephant shrews can have babies 2 times per year with a litter size of 2.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The North African elephant shrew (Petrosaltator rozeti) or North African sengi is a species of elephant shrew in the family Macroscelididae. It is found in Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, and is the only extant afrotherian within its range. Recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that its status as the only extant member of its order north of the Sahara has resulted in a genetic split from the other Macroscelididae species. This split likely occurred during the Miocene period. In 2016, John Dumbacher and colleagues created a new genus, Petrosaltator, for this species, recombining the scientific name to Petrosaltator rozeti.
Animals of the same family as a North African elephant shrew
We found other animals of the Macroscelididae family:
- Black and rufous elephant shrew with a weight of 423 grams
- Eastern rock elephant shrew with a weight of 59 grams
- Four-toed elephant shrew with a weight of 201 grams
- Dusky-footed elephant shrew with a weight of 57 grams
- Macroscelides proboscideus with a weight of 38 grams
- Bushveld elephant shrew with a weight of 48 grams
- Checkered elephant shrew with a weight of 424 grams
- Golden-rumped elephant shrew with a weight of 535 grams
- Rufous elephant shrew with a weight of 52 grams
- Short-snouted elephant shrew with a weight of 45 grams
Animals with the same weight as a North African elephant shrew
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Elephantulus rozeti:
- Kelaart’s long-clawed shrew bringing 36 grams to the scale
- Desert mouse bringing 37 grams to the scale
- Hatt’s vesper rat bringing 36 grams to the scale
- Montane fish-eating rat bringing 39 grams to the scale
- Handleyomys fuscatus bringing 49 grams to the scale
- Ord’s kangaroo rat bringing 50 grams to the scale
- White-throated grass mouse bringing 42 grams to the scale
- Mexican volcano mouse bringing 44 grams to the scale
- Shortridge’s multimammate mouse bringing 46 grams to the scale
- Hylaeamys laticeps bringing 49 grams to the scale
Animals with the same litter size as a North African elephant shrew
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (2) as a North African elephant shrew:
- Small-toothed palm civet
- Alston’s brown mouse
- Silvery greater galago
- Common genet
- Champion’s tree mouse
- Marbled cat
- Watson’s climbing rat
- Long-tailed pygmy possum
- Long-nosed echymipera
- Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel
Animals with the same life expectancy as a North African elephant shrew
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a North African elephant shrew:
- Long-tailed pocket mouse with an average maximal age of 2.5 years
- Little long-tailed dunnart with an average maximal age of 3.17 years
- Typical striped grass mouse with an average maximal age of 2.5 years
- Winter white dwarf hamster with an average maximal age of 3.17 years
- Asian house shrew with an average maximal age of 2.5 years
- Fat-tailed false antechinus with an average maximal age of 3 years
- Dibatag with an average maximal age of 3 years
- Dibbler with an average maximal age of 3 years
- Monito del monte with an average maximal age of 3.17 years
- Red-tailed phascogale with an average maximal age of 3 years