RESEARCHERS may have discovered a previously unknown species of the giant elephant shrew - a small mammal with a nose like a trunk - in a Kenyan forest.

They said yesterday they captured images of the rat-sized animal on camera-traps in the Boni-Dodori forest along Kenya's northeastern coast while they were researching biodiversity.

"It is believed to be a new species of giant sengi, otherwise known as an elephant shrew (Macroscelidea)," the conservationists from the Zoological Society of London and Kenya Wildlife Services scientists said in a statement.

"Once DNA samples have been collected, we look forward to conducting the genetic analysis required to determine whether or not this is indeed a new species of elephant shrew," Galen Rathbun from the California Academy of Sciences said.

The animals are more closely related to elephants than shrews despite their size, and got their name because of their long, flexible, trunk-like nose.

Rathbun said the animals were captivating due to their ancient and often misunderstood ancestry, their monogamous mating, and their flexible snouts used to forage for food.

The academy's research scientists launch dozens of expeditions each year to document biodiversity around the world. "It is always exciting to describe a new species ... a necessary precursor for ensuring that the animals are protected," Rathbun said.

Forty years ago, forests covered 12 percent of Kenya, but now it is just 1.7 percent. Greed, irresponsibility and mismanagement of public resources have been blamed for the degradation.

• elephant [´elifənt] n.象 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)
• analysis [ə´næləsis] n.分解；分析(结果) (初中英语单词)
• california [,kæli´fɔ:njə] n.加利福尼亚 (初中英语单词)
• academy [ə´kædəmi] n.专科学校；学会；协会 (初中英语单词)
• despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• previously [´pri:viəsli] ad.预先；以前 (高中英语单词)
• species [´spi:ʃi:z] n.(生物的)种，类 (高中英语单词)
• related [ri´leitid] a.叙述的；有联系的 (高中英语单词)
• launch [lɔ:ntʃ] vt.发动 n.发射；汽艇 (高中英语单词)
• document [´dɔkjumənt] n.公文；文件；证件 (高中英语单词)
• flexible [´fleksəbəl] a.灵活的，柔韧的 (英语四级单词)
• mammal [´mæməl] n.哺乳动物 (英语六级单词)
• northeastern [,nɔ:θ´i:stən] ad.&a.向东北(的) (英语六级单词)
• zoological [,zəuə´lɔdʒik(ə)l] a.动物学(上)的 (英语六级单词)
• forage [´fɔridʒ] n.饲料 v.搜寻(粮草) (英语六级单词)
• degradation [,degrə´deiʃən] n.降低；恶化；堕落 (英语六级单词)