Huma mifruxin sew miż-żona subsaħarjana lejn in-nofsinhar tal-Afrika u għalkemm m' huma komuni imkien, kważi tista' issibhom f' kull tip ta' ambjent; mid-deżert tan-Namibja, għall-foresti tal-Afrika ta' isfel. Is-Senġi tal-Afrika ta' Fuq kif jghid l-isem komuni tiegħu huwa l-unika speċi li jgħix fl-ambjent xott tal-pajjiżi fil-Majjistral tal-kontinent Afrikan.
It-18-il speċi jvarjaw fid-daqs bejn wieħed u ieħor minn 100 millimetru sa ftit aktar minn 300 millimetru u jiżnu minn ftit anqas minn 50 gramma għal ftit aktar minn 700 gramma. Kollha kemm huma jimxu fuq erba' saqajn li huma pjuttost twal għal ġisimhom u għalkemm it-tul ta' mnieħirhom ivarja minn speċi għall-ohra, kollha kapaċi jilwu t-tromba jew il-proboxxidi 'l hemm u 'l hawn waqt it-tfittxija għall-ikel.
Il-parti l-kbira tad-dieta tagħhom tikkonsisti minn insetti, dud u brimb li jsibu mal-art qalb il-weraq.
Fil-passat is-senġijiet kienu, ikklassifikati fl-ordni Insectivora flimkien mal-ġriedem ta' geddumhom twil u l-qniefed, ikkunsidrati bħala relatati fil-bogħod mal-Ungulati, miġburin fi grupp flimkien mat-tupaji u meqjusin parti mill-ordni Lagomorpha mal-fniek, liebri u l-piki. Madankollu, evidenzi molekolari reċenti, b' saħħa jissapportjaw is-superordniAfrotheria li jaqqagħad flimkien, it-tenreki u t-talpi dehbin ma' ċerti ungulati jew mammiferi li xi darba kienu meqjusin ungulati li jinkludu l-iraċi, l-iljunfanti, il-baqar tal-baħar u l-oritteropi, kif ukoll is-senġijiet.
Instabu numru ta' speċijiet fossili, kollha kemm huma mil-kontinent Afrikan. Uħud, bħal Myohyrax, tant kienu simili tal-iraċi li għal bidu kienu identifikati ħażin bħala tali, filwaqt li oħrajn, bħal pereżempju Mylomygale kienu relativament qishom gerriema. Dawn il-forom kienu kollha estinti sal-Plejstoċen.
Senġijiet hemm madwar 19-il speċi mqasmin ma' 4 ġeneri u 1 minnhom huwa monotipiku.
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