THE REAL MASTERS OF THEIR DOMAIN

Elephants and lions are impressive animals. But what about their colleagues of lesser stature? Of course smaller creatures must flee from danger now and then, but some manage to outwit their enemies and increase their chances of survival thanks to an array of skills that may include spectacular speed, astonishing agility, or incredible cunning—and the occasional leap of imagination…

EVASION EXPERT The outcome of this duel seems clear: What chance does a button-eyed little critter have against a ferocious-looking lizard several times its size? But things are not as straightforward as they seem: The small mammal is an elephant shrew. Native to Africa, where they can occupy almost any habitat, these creatures from the family Macroscelididae are seldom seen and hard to catch because of their wariness, good camouflage, and ability to dash away at up to 18 miles per hour. That makes them the fastest mammal in the “under 1 pound” weight class. They received their common name from early English taxonomists who thought their long nose resembled an elephant trunk. And it turns out elephant shrews are the result of an unusual evolutionary quirk that makes them more…

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iD (Ideas & Discoveries) (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 2021

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