Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec

echinops telfairi

The Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec is a small, adorable mammal that loves to explore its surroundings. With its spiky fur and tiny face, it's a fun animal to learn about and watch in the wild!

Lebensraum: This species lives in the forests and shrublands of Madagascar.

Aussehen

The Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec has a small, compact body covered in short, stiff quills that range from greyish-brown to creamy white. It has a pointed snout, relatively large ears, and small eyes, giving it a more delicate appearance than a true hedgehog.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungAfrosoricidaFamilieTenrecidaeGattungEchinops

Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

During the dry season, they can 'sleep' for months, lowering their body temperature to save energy!

They are not true hedgehogs; they're more related to elephants than typical hedgehogs!

They sometimes 'anoint' themselves with saliva mixed with strong smells, a mysterious behavior!

Unlike porcupines, their quills are smooth and just for protection, not barbed or thrown!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec can roll into a tight, spiky ball because it helps them become a difficult meal for predators.

Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec has the ability to enter torpor, a deep sleep, that helps them survive long dry seasons.

Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec can find hidden prey because of their excellent sense of smell and large, sensitive ears.

Maße und Details

Länge: 12-17 cm
Gewicht: 0.1-0.25 kg
Lebenserwartung: 6-10 Jahre
Top Speed: 8 km/h
Wurfgröße: 1-8
Tragzeit: 47-50 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

These tiny tenrecs mostly munch on insects and other small critters they forage for at night.

Hauptnahrung

Crickets
Mealworms
Grasshoppers
Spiders

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Fossa

Cryptoprocta ferox

Fossa often hunt these tenrecs, especially younger or exposed individuals.

eaten by

Barn Owl

Tyto alba

Barn owls are opportunistic predators, including tenrecs in their diet.

eats

African two-spotted cricket

Gryllus bimaculatus

Feeds heavily on crickets, a vital energy source in its natural habitat.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Wald

Waldlebensräume sind terrestrische Lebensräume, die von dichtem Baumbestand dominiert werden und eine große Vielfalt an Pflanzen- und Tierarten beherbergen.