Tenrecs may
help control pests
because they consume large quantities of insects and small invertebrates. There appears to be no major threats to this species. It is locally threatened by overhunting and habitat loss in some parts of its range.
Do people eat tenrec?
The tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus; Order : Insectivora; Class : Tenrecinae) is
consumed by a small section of the population
, and constitutes a non-conventional source of animal protein. Male tenrecs were hunted in early October and in late November, and a comparison in carcass composition was made between the two periods.
What does the tenrec eat?
In the wild, lesser Madagascar tenrecs are opportunistic feeders; they will forage on the ground and in trees for
invertebrates
. They will also eat some other small animals, such as baby mice. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, they are fed dry insectivore diet and insects, such as mealworms.
Do tenrecs eat their babies?
The lesser hedgehog tenrec is classified as an insectivore, but is actually
an omnivore
. In addition to eating insects and their larvae on the ground or in trees, it can also prey upon small vertebrates and bird eggs and it occasionally consumes fruit.
Are tenrecs only in Madagascar?
Though sometimes confused with hedgehogs, tenrecs are actually members of a different order. They come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and they
live only in Madagascar
where they were one of the first mammals to colonize.
Are tenrecs poisonous?
Arguably
venomous mammals
Tenrecs, which are similar in appearance to hedgehogs but from a different line of evolutionary descent, may also have separately evolved self-anointing behaviour.
Are tenrecs good pets?
Tenrecs are not overly friendly pets
. They don’t necessarily mind being handled, but they don’t crave human attention like many more-aptly-called “pets” do. If they’re handled gently and regularly as pups, they’re more likely to respond well to human interaction.
Can tenrecs swim?
It is
not unusual to
see tenrecs swimming in rice paddies during their forays. … The burrows of the common tenrec are usually near streams and are of two distict types. A hibernating burrow is between one and two meters long.
How fast can a tenrec run?
The tenrecs can run as fast as
33 mph
. They can run quickly from a specific region to escape a predator and might as well attack the predator if the species has thorny quills. Tenrecs who have blunt quills bare their teeth to the predator.
What color is a tenrec?
Color is
usually yellow buff; individuals range from near white to almost black
. Head and body length is 5 to 6.8 inches (13 to 17 cm). Weight is about 7 ounces (0.2 kg). Tenrecs have a cloaca (common uro-genital opening), like a bird or a reptile.
Do tenrecs need heat?
Tenrecs need a heat source such as
an overhead heat lamp or ceramics
. If they do not have enough heat that over the cooler months they may enter a state known as brumation.
Can tenrecs eat grapes?
Tenrecs will
eat just about any bug, dried or alive
. The best site that I only order live insects from is Rainbow Mealworms. … Fruits are a nice treat, and some tenrecs will accept them while others won’t. There are some fruits that we humans eat that are toxic to tenrecs, like citrus and grapes.
Do tenrecs smell?
Because the white secretion from their eyes has a scent,
males have a musky smell
compared to females. Males will anoint themselves and their enclosure with their scent. Some owners describe the smell to be alike to corn chips or weed.
Are tenrecs Fossorial?
The mole-like rice tenrec (Oryzorictes hova), also known as the fossorial tenrec or hova rice tenrec, is a
species of mammal in
the tenrec family.
Tenrecs are probably most
closely related to golden moles
(CHRYSOCHLORIDAE). Along with golden moles, scientists now consider tenrecs part of the Afrotheria, a grouping of African mammals with evolutionary connections that also contains the aardvark, sengis (or elephant-shrews), hyraxes, elephants and sea cows.
