### Identification The Bushveld Sengi (*Elephantulus intufi*) is a master of camouflage, dressed in a soft, pale-buff to yellowish-brown coat that mirrors the sun-bleached grasses of the Kalahari. Measuring roughly 22–27 cm from nose to tail-tip, its most arresting feature is its "spectacles"—bold, white rings of fur encircling large, dark eyes. Look for its signature long, flexible, trunk-like snout, which it twitches incessantly. Unlike the Western Rock Sengi, the Bushveld species has a tail that is consistently longer than its body and lacks the dense, dark hair tuft at the tip, appearing more slender and pale.
### Habitat & Range This sengi is a specialist of the arid South African interior, ranging through Namibia, Botswana, and the northern provinces of South Africa. You’ll find it in dry savannas and open woodlands, particularly where the soil is sandy or gravelly. Unlike its rock-dwelling cousins, *E. intufi* prefers the base of bushes or scrubby patches where it can find cover among the leaf litter.
### Behaviour If you sit quietly near a shrubby thicket, you might witness their "runway" system. These sengis are meticulous landscapers, clearing narrow, debris-free paths through the sand to facilitate high-speed escapes from predators. They are primarily diurnal, most active during the cooler morning and late afternoon. Look for "foot-drumming"—a rapid tapping of the hind feet used as a communication signal or an alarm when a raptor shadows the ground. They are socially monogamous, though pairs often forage separately.
### Diet Watch for the snout in action; it probes frantically into crevices and sand. The Bushveld Sengi is a dedicated insectivore, primarily targeting ants and termites. They use their long, flicking tongues to lap up prey with incredible speed, occasionally supplementing their diet with small seeds or green shoots during the height of the dry season.
### Fascinating Fact Despite their name and mouse-like appearance, these "shrews" are not rodents or insectivores at all. Genetic testing reveals they belong to the group *Afrotheria*, making them more closely related to African Elephants and Manatees than to the common garden shrew!