SOUTH AFRICAN RATLIKE ANIMALS 
ARE LOYAL TO MATES,
PROFESSOR’S RESEARCH SHOWS

 

February 2001 -  David Ribble, associate professor of biology at Trinity University, has just spent six months in South Africa studying relationships of elephant-shrews, which are tiny rodent-looking creatures named for the trunk-like appearance of their noses. His preliminary conclusions suggest that all of the 15 species of elephant-shrews found in Africa mate with one partner for life, an unusual animal trait.    “In mammals, monogamy is relatively rare,” Professor Ribble says. “Of 6,000 species, about 5 percent to 10 percent are monogamous.” To conduct his research during an academic leave, he and collaborators from the University of Natal set up two field sites in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. There they implanted radial telemeters in elephant-shrews. In others, they inserted temperature-sensitive buttons to track how often and under what conditions the animals voluntarily reduce their body heat. The practice could be a means of self-protection, he says. In Africa, a continent known for unpredictable weather conditions, animals that can “shut down” their bodies when food is unavailable have a greater chance of survival, Professor Ribble says. Further research is needed, he says, to determine whether this torpor, the ability to self-regulate body temperatures, is an intermediate step of evolution or an adaptation to the environment. It is not too unusual to study patterns of monogamy along with temperature regulation, Professor Ribble explains, since a biologist should attempt to learn all he or she can about an animal. “These are fascinating animals,” he says of the elephant-shrews. “They are fun to work with and easy to trap. They don’t bite, and they are very docile.” In addition, they are only found in Africa, a land of beauty and mystery, he says. To learn more about Professor Ribble’s research, contact Susie P. Gonzalez at (210) 999-8406 or Susie.Gonzalez@trinity.edu.

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Last updated on January 10, 2000 by the Office of Public Relations