Despite not being documented by researchers since 1968, the sengi(象鼩), a tiny big-eyed mouse with a long tail and a trunk-like nose that’s native to Somalia, was rediscovered living in well-preserved habitat in neighboring Djibouti this year, and in quite healthy numbers.
An exploration beginning in 2019 looked to use local knowledge about the sengi from the people of Djibouti who said it was still there. Sure enough, it took only one trap filled with coconut, peanut butter and yeast to find the little guy.
“It was surprising,” said Steven Heritage, a research scientist at Duke University in the US. “When we opened the first trap and saw the little tuft of hair on the tip of its tail, we just looked at one another and couldn’t believe it. A number of small mammal(哺乳动物)surveys since the 1970s did not find the Somali sengi in Djibouti — it was indeed a serendipitous discovery.”
One of the least understood members of the 20 species-strong elephant shrew genus(象鼩属), the sengi lives in habitats that are unsuitable for most human activities, allowing it to remain relatively undisturbed and safe.
“Usually when we rediscover lost species, we find just one or two individuals and have to act quickly to try to prevent their extinction,” said Robin Moore, of the Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) group.
The team set 1,000 traps and caught 12 of the little shrews while making the first video and photographic documentation of the animal for science. Along with rediscovering the species, the team gathered DNA samples(样本)which later showed the Somali sengi to be more closely related to sengis in other corners of Africa like Morocco and South Africa.
This finding has suggested that the Somali sengi needs to be placed in a new genus — moving from Elephantulus to Galegeeska.
Like all great discoveries in science, the questions answered are only equal to the new mysteries presented, but the researchers’ work has highlighted Djibouti as a biodiverse(具有生物多样性的)nation worthy of scientific study. With any luck, perhaps more discoveries are waiting to be made among its desert and salt lakes.
【小题1】What made the finding of the Somali sengi special?| A．It was rediscovered by Somalis. |
| B．It looked surprisingly different. |
| C．It reappeared in Africa after more than 50 years. |
| D．It had become smart enough to avoid being trapped. |
| A．Unrealistic. | B．Professional. | C．Accidental. | D．Individual. |
| A．How the Somali sengi manages to survive. |
| B．Why the Somali sengi can live peacefully. |
| C．How human activities affect the Somali sengi. |
| D．What environment the Somali sengi should live in. |
| A．By doing DNA tests for them. | B．By studying their living habits. |
| C．By comparing their appearances. | D．By studying documents about them. |
