The smallest elephant in the world
The smallest elephant in the world is actually the elephant shrew, which has a long trunk and looks like an elephant, so it is called "elephant shrew", and its appearance and living environment are the same as those of shrews, so it was once classified as an insectivore, but later some scholars found that it is not an insectivore after anatomical research on the object shrew. However, some scholars later found that the shrew was not an insectivorous species, but had a closer relationship with rabbit and hare, so it was set up as "Elephant shrew family" separately.
In 2013, zoologists studied the DNA of the elephant shrew and found that the elephant shrew should be classified under the general order of African animals, and the mammals in the general order of African animals have a common African ancestor, which includes the elephant shrew and elephants, so the elephant shrew and elephants are somehow related, but they are more distant, so people call this animal "the smallest elephant.
In the early days, scientists named them elephant shrews because of their long and flexible trunk, which makes them look a bit like elephants. The elephant shrew's sense of touch and smell are very sensitive, which can help them catch insects or other small creatures, in addition to this, the elephant shrew's eyesight and hearing are also quite good.
The elephant shrew usually forages during the day and builds its nest underground, and is more active during the day. Elephant shrews are small and agile, mainly catching insects, but sometimes they will also eat some seeds and plant shoots.
