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Range: Western and southwestern Madagascar
Habitat: Dry, deciduous forest areas of western
Madagascar and xerophytic spiny forest and gallery forest regions
of southwest Madagascar
Listing: No special status. Quite common, although
logging in Madagascar has destroyed favored habitats resulting
in lower densities in logged areas. Madagascar’s forests
are among the world’s hotspots in nature destruction making
the entire island’s fauna in demand of special attention.
Diet: Variety of animal food, mostly invertebrates
but occasionally baby mice. Forages both arboreally and on the
ground
Behavior: Nocturnal and semi-arboreal; quite
agile and capable of climbing along thin branches, short tail
used as a brace.
During dry seasons, when food is scarce, it becomes torpid 3
–5 mths (May-Sept). This is a period of lethargy less extreme
than hibernation. It takes place in a hollow log or tree hole
several meters off the ground. The burrow is lined with grasses
and leaves. Aestivates individually or in small groups of 2-3
individuals.
They scent mark by spreading their saliva on the substrate and
on their flanks using the front paws.
Antipredator response: roll into a tight ball and hiss or grind
the teeth. When irritated, frightened or disturbed, the tenrec
makes a hissing sound while pulling spines over their head; occasionally
they curl up like a hedgehog.
Reproduction: Mating begins in October shortly
after emergence from torpor state. Gestation is 60-65 days. Litter
size is 1-10 offspring with an average of 7.Young weigh less than
10g at birth and are altricial (naked). Eyes open at 7-9 days.
At 14 days they follow the mother to the nest entrance. They eat
solid food at 18 days and are weaned at 30 days. Sexual maturity
is after their first period of aestivation.
Sexes are difficult to determine due to them having a cloaca.
Males are characterized by enlarged rings around the eyes which
are caused by eye glands.
Social Life: Males can stay with females but are banished a few
hours before young are born and throughout the young’s time
of dependence on the mother. Males are aggressive towards one
another.
Communication is tactile with a few auditory signals.
Females emit odors during mating season that cause males to secrete
a milky white substance from glands near the eyes
Life expectancy is around 6-9 years
Interesting Facts: Resembles a slender miniature
hedgehog but are only distantly related. Their quills are not
as pointed as those of the European hedgehog.
Has the most reduced dentition within the Tenricidae family with
only 32 teeth
They are important to humans in that they eat all sorts of invertebrates,
some of which feed on crops or are otherwise bothersome to humans.
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