MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY AND SPECIES LIMITS IN ELEPHANT SHREWS (ELEPHANTULUS-INTUFI AND ELEPHANTULUS-RUPESTRIS) FROM NAMIBIA

Morphological differences within and between Namibian populations of E lephantulus intufi (N = 116) and E. rupestris (N = 24) were assessed b y use of univariate and multivariate analyses. Four external and 16 cr anial measurements were recorded for each specimen and assessed for th e contribution of age (four classes), sex, and locality. Variation wit hin and between populations of both species is low. Age classes 1 (juv eniles) and 2 (subadults) were significantly smaller than the other ag e classes (3 and 4). There was no evidence of sexual dimorphism in E. intufi. E. rupestris males were significantly larger in six of the 20 measurements and averaged larger in 12 others. Geographic variation wa s not detected among these specimens. Multivariate analyses provided m eans to assess the limits of morphological distinction between these t wo species.