- Short-eared elephant shrews measure 4 to 5 inches long and weigh less than 2 ounces. They have short, round ears, hairy tails and brown or gray fur. They have long, powerful legs which enable them to escape from predators quickly. Their most noticeable characteristic, however, is the long, prehensile nose for which they are named.
- M. proboscideus is found only in Africa and prefers the semi-arid to desert-like conditions found in southern Botswana, Namibia and the Cape Province region of South Africa. Short-eared elephant shrews are mostly solitary, keeping a home range of about half a square mile. Its diet consists of insects, berries and plant roots.
- This animal breeds in August and September. Females carry their young for two months before giving birth. Litter size is small, yielding one or two offspring per birth, but females may birth more than one litter in a breeding season. The babies reach sexual maturity about 43 days after they are born. Mothers are not very fussy about caring for their young, generally tending to them only once a day for feeding. Elephant shrews remain with the same mate for life.
- The elephant shrew experiences much of the world through scent. Using its long nose, it can gather a surprising amount of information from its environment. They use it to find food and to gain information about other sengi in its territory. Elephant shrews are adept at communication through scent and possess several scent glands that give each individual a unique odor.
- Natural predators include snakes and raptors. The status of M. proboscideus in particular is of least concern, according to the 2008 IUCN Red List of Mammals. However, relatives of the short-eared elephant shrew belonging to the genus Rhynchocyon, which include four species of giant sengis, are considered endangered.
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