Zarander

The zarander, Procerosus elephanasus, is a large, elephant-like suine suid with a somewhat okapi-like coloration to it, living in the tropical forests of Africa, from After Man: A Zoology of the Future. It comes from the same ancestral stock as the coexisting turmi, that being the giant forest hog.

This large, strictly herbivorous suid lives on the sparse herbs and shrubs found in less dense areas of the forest floor. Its long trunk, developed from a snout similar to the trunk of the ancient elephant, enables the zarander to reach leafy branches 4 meters above the ground, where it can snip branches and vines from the trees by the scissor action of its upper and lower tusks. Despite its long nose, the zarander has little sense of smell. Like other mammals of the forest floor, the lack of wind and general circulation among the dense trees means that scents do not travel far. Relying on its keen hearing to warn it of the approach of an enemy, it takes off into the thicker parts of the forest at the arrival of a predator, squeezing its narrow body between the tree trunks, and remaining motionless, camouflaged by its stripes and dark body color.

Zaranders live in small herds of up to eight in number. Each herd usually contains only one adult male.