Elephant shrew (Elephant shrew)

Japanese: ハネジネズミ(跳地鼠) - ハネジネズミ（英語表記）elephant shrew

A general term for small animals with a body shape similar to that of a kangaroo rat, but with a long, pointed snout (hence the English name) (illustration). Formerly classified as part of the insectivorous order Macroscelididae, in recent years it has been classified as an independent order Macroscelidea, closer to the order Lagomorpha than to the insectivorous order. There are about 15 species in one family, four genera, distributed from northern to southern Africa, excluding West Africa. Body length is 9.5-31.5 cm, tail length 8-26.5 cm, weight 30-420 g.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

体型はカンガルーネズミに似るが，吻（ふん）が長くとがった(英名はこれによる)小獣の総称（イラスト）。かつては食虫目ハネジネズミ科Macroscelididaeとされていたが，近年では食虫目ではなくウサギ目に近い独立のハネジネズミ目Macroscelideaとされる。西アフリカを除く，アフリカの北部から南部に1科4属15種ほどが分布。体長9.5～31.5cm，尾長8～26.5cm，体重30～420g。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Toru Haneda

>>: Spike Moss