International Journal of Zoology and Research (IJZR) ISSN(P): 2278–8816; ISSN(E): 2278-8824 Vol.4, Issue 1, Feb 2014, 7-10 © TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

OVERVIEW OF THE DIET OF THE SHREW OF THE ELEPHANT OF NORTH AFRICA ELEPHANTELUS ROZETI (DUVERNOY, 1833) (MAMMALIA, MACROSCELIDIDAE) AROUND THE JBEL EL TAREF ( - ARID SEMI)

FAIZA MARNICHE1, AMEL MILLA2, SEDIK GARREH3 & ET SALAHEDDINE DOUMANDJI4 1,2Ecole supérieure de Vétérinaire, El Harrach, Alger, Algérie Département de Biologie 3Garde forestier direction générales des forêts d’Oum El Bouaghi, 04000, Algérie 4Département de zoologie agricole et forestière, Ecole supérieure Nationale Agronomique El-Harrach, Alger, Algérie

ABSTRACT

Within the region of Jbel El Tarf (Oum El Bouaghi) (35 ° 47'N and 07 ° 09'E, 1134 m altitude) through the analysis of 30 droppings which have been picked up in June 2013. The study of diet of elephant shrew is based on the analysis of the droppings. It appears that Elephantelus rozeti is based mainly on insects such as Hymenoptera (48.31%). The most consumed prey species are Tetramorium sp. (28.06%), Hodotermes sp. (16.87%) and Oniscoidea (12.97%).

KEY WORDS: Rat Horn, Elephantelus rozeti, Arid Semi, Jbel El Taref, Oum El Bouaghi, Insects, Fourmicidae

INTRODUCTION

The North African elephant shrew or North African sengi (Elephantelus rozeti) is a species of elephant shrew in the Macroscelididae family. He is represented by the rat in proboscis. This species is endemic to Western North Africa. It is characterized by a snout extended by a cylindrical trunk slightly compressed and sharp; it inhabits Rocky upland hilly with dense vegetation (Figure 1). This species occurs in semi-arid and arid northern areas Sahara and the Maghreb. This species occurs in semi-arid and arid northern areas Sahara and the Maghreb. To the Morocco: Taourit (HEIM de BALSAC 1947), Valley of Guir, Tata, Tarfaya (SEGUIGNES, 1988), Goulimine (!).

In : (THOMAS 1901), Beni Ounif (FOLEY, 1922), (LATASTE, 1881), master, Bou Saada (LATASTE, 1880). In Tunisia: Remada (VESMANIS, 1979), Djerid, Tatahouine, Shemini, Chebika, Feriana (LATASTE, 1887), Maktar, Matmata (SEGUIGNES, 1988), Gafsa (CHAIGNON, 1904, BALSAC HEIM, 1936), Bordj Bourguiba (COCKRUM, 1976). In Libya: Tripoli (TOSCHI, 1951), gebel Tegrinna (KLAPTOCZ, 1909). Its natural habitats are Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation and hot deserts (CORBET and HANKS, 1968) and in the Western Sahara: Zemmour (HEIM de BALSAC, 1947, MONTEIL, 1951).It is a diurnal species, thermophilic and very fearful (HUFNAGL and CRAIG-BENNETT) 1972. He has recorded 2 750 m in the High Atlas (CUZIN and SEGUIGNES, 1990).

Several aspects of the biology of this species have been studied by LUMPKIN, KOONTZ. 1986, SEGUIGNES (1983, 1989), GRZIMEK (1990), GRZIMEK (2003), SCHLITTER (2005) and PERRIN et al. (2008) Their diet is mainly insectivore (ants, crickets, sow bugs, scorpions) but happens to eat corpses of small vertebrates. As well as stems, berries and roots. In captivity, they accept various foods, including fruit and vegetables (AWAAD and WEINSTEIN, 2001). Few works are devoted to this species about diet in our study area. 8 Faiza Marniche, Amel Milla, Sedik Garreh & Et Salaheddine Doumandji

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The site is located in Jbel El Taref (35 ° 47' n and 07 ° 09' East and 1134 m above sea level) located south of East of Oum El Bouaghi to northeast of Algeria in the Attelas tellian. The climate of the region is type continental, cold in winter, hot and dry summer. It ranks on the semiarid bioclimatic floor at cold winter, with an average annual rainfall of 705.44 mm (Figure 2). Djebel Taref occupies 33460 ha. The vegetation of this region is formed malvaceae, Liliaceae, the Boraginaceae, Compositae, Papaveraceae and grasses (Poaceae).

The outputs on the ground took place in June 2013 around Jbel El Taref. 30 droppings collected under its shelter (under the rocks). These droppings have been analyzed and dissected after ramolissage with alcohol, then the sclerotinisees pieces were compiled separately by systematic affinities in the boxes of Petri dishes in order to estimate the number of individuals consumed by prey species (Figure 3). Specific determinations were performed in the laboratory of Zoology at veterinary school of El Harrach ().

RESULTS Overall Analysis of the Regime Among the 30 droppings collected under its shelter (below and above the rocks) of the Jbel El Taref, 21 droppings only are whole and were measured and weighed, their length varies from 6 to 14 mm, and their large diameter from 2 to 6 mm (Figure 4). Their weights ranged from 0.001 to 0.07 g with an average of 0. 017g.

 Analysis of 30 Elephant Shrew droppings collected in 2013 allowed the counts of 563 species prey (Figure 2). Divided into 7 classes whose insects dominate with 77.80%.

 Equal to 42 with a wealth total wealth average 6.87. The relative abundance is registered to the category of the Hymenoptera with 272 individuals (48.31%). Followed by the Isoptera with 95 individuals (16.87%).

 Average number of prey by droppings is 18.76 ± 7.80. The histogram shows that the number of prey by droppings varies from 9 to 36 preys. Whose shit 7 is the least represented 9 prey and the dropped 30 is the highest of the prey with 36 (Figure 4).

 Diversity is 3.40 bits and fairness is equal to 0.63. This value is close to 1 means that this species behaves as a generalist

DISCUSSIONS

The Shrew of the elephant in North Africa (Elephant Shrew) of the Jbel El Taraef presents a very varied food spectrum consisting mainly of invertebrates but which has a non-negligible number of vertebrae (Reptilia) (Figure 4). In insects, hymenopterans dominate. 42 species belonging to 16 orders have been identified.

The main prey are ants, the most consumed prey being Tetramorium sp. (158 individuals) with a percentage of 28.06%. The Isoptera are secondary prey including the species Hodotermes sp. is the most captured with 95 individuals (16.87%). Finally the reptiles and plant fragments are eventually little consumed in an environment where they are yet not uncommon.

REMERCIMEMENTS

We thank Mr. GARREH sedik and Marianna rahmane guards forests in the direction of Oum El Bouaghi forests for their help throughout our output in Jbel El Taref. Overview of the Diet of the Shrew of the Elephant of North Africa Elephantelus rozeti (Duvernoy, 1833) 9 (Mammalia, Macroscelididae) around the Jbel El Taref (Oum El Bouaghi - Arid Semi) REFERENCES

1. Awaad, R. and B. Weinstein. 2001. "Animal Diversity Web" (On-line). Elephantulus rufescens.. Accessed March 23, 2006.

2. Corbet, G. B. and Hanks, j., 1968 - A revision of the elephant-shrews, family Macroscelididae. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology) 16: 1-111.

3. Cuzin, F. and Seguignes, M., 1990 - Capture Elephant Shrew (Macroscelididae, Macroscelidae) in the Moroccan High Atlas above 2,700 m. Mammalia 60 (1): 164-165.

4. Hufnagl E. and Craig-Bennett A., 1972. -Libyan mammals. Orleander Press, 87 p.

5. Grzimek b. 1990 - Elephant Shrews. Pp. 524-531 in S Parker, Ed. Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals, Vol. 1, English Language Edition. United States of America: McGraw-Hill Inc.

6. Grzimek, b., 2003 - Macroscelidea Sengis. Pp. 517-531 in D Kleiman, V Geist, M McDade, eds. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Vol. 16 Mammals V, 2nd Edition. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.

7. Lovegrove B., Raman J. and Perrin M., 2001-Heterothermy in elephant shrews, elephant spp. (Macroscelidea): daily torpor or hybernation? J Comp Physiol, 171: 1-10.

8. Lumpkin, S. and Koontz. F., 1986 - Social and Sexual Behavior of the Rufous Elephant-Shrew (Elephantulus rufescens) in Captivity. Journal of Mammalogy, 67/1: 112-119.

9. Schlitter, D., 2005 - Order Macroscelididae. In Mammal Species of the World. Ed. Wilson, D.E. and Reeder D.M. Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, pp.82 - 85.

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11. Seguignes, M. 1989. Contribution to the study of reproduction of Elephant Shrew (Insectivora, Macroscelididae). Mammalia 53 (3): 377-386.

APPENDICES

Figure 1: The Shrew of the Elephant Elephantelus rozeti (Duvernoy, 1833) (Mammalia, Macroscelididae) around the Jbel El Tarf (Oum El Bouaghi - Arid Semi) (Original Photograph by GARRAH.S, 2013) 10 Faiza Marniche, Amel Milla, Sedik Garreh & Et Salaheddine Doumandji

Figure 2: Station Collection of Droppings of Elephantelus Rozeti (Duvernoy, 1833) (Mammalia, Macroscelididae) in the Vicinity of Jbel El Tarf (Oum El Bouaghi)

Figure 3: Food Spectrum by Elephantus rozeti around Jbel El Taref (Oum El Bouaghi)

Figure 4: The Number of Prey by Elephantus rozeti around Jbel El Taref (Oum El Bouaghi) Droppings