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A new elephant shrew has been discovered in a small, remote northwestern corner of Namibia by the California Academy of Sciences. This tiny elephant-relative, the Etendeka round-eared sengi, is the smallest sengi in recorded history. It is only 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) long and weighs just 0.9 ounces (28 grams), less than a standard letter envelope!

It differs from other forms of sengi foremost due to its size, but also because of its pink-hued skin and rusty colored fur, which help it blend into the reddish soil of its natural habitat. However, its distinctive difference from the other 19 currently known species of sengi is that it possesses a hairless gland under its tail.

The new sengi (Macroscelides micus) is a member of the mammalian Afrotheria order and is a close relative of not only the elephant, but a variety of other interesting animals. The adorable creature is closely related to marine mammals, including dugongs and manatees, the aardvark, and a variety of other rodent mammals including golden moles and tenrecs.

The researchers note, "It...might seem remarkable that Macroscelides micus escaped detection for more than 100 years since the first sengis were being described, but it occurs in a difficult to access arid area and has only recently been explored by small-mammal biologists." Considering only about a dozen new species of mammal are discovered every year, it’s promising to find a new species in an already heavily studied sub-set of the animal population—especially such a cute one!

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Images by Galen Rathbun/California Academy of Sciences