They can live for up to
8 to 10 years in the wild
, and about 13 years in human care.
How big do tenrecs get?
They have a head and body
length of 6-9 inches (150-220 millimeters)
with a small tail . 5 inches (15-16 millimeters) long. They weigh about 6-9 ounces (180-270 grams).
How much do tenrecs cost?
First come first serve. We are having a special on baby tenrecs, we are selling 10, 2020 new babies for
$600.00 to $800.00 each
. If your interested please call us at 716/298-5025.
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 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.
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.
What is the difference between a hedgehog and a tenrec?
Tenrecs have a long, narrow snout that almost looks
rat
-like. If it weren't for the quills and barely visible tail, one might mistake tenrecs for a rat at a distance. Pet hedgehogs have skinny legs like a tenrec. However, they have four toes on the front paws and five toes on the back paws.
Are tenrecs aggressive?
They are social animals and always sleep together in one nesting-box.
Adult males can be very aggressive towards each other
but one male can be kept together with more than one female without problems. When handled regularly, most animals become very tame.
Do tenrecs need heat?
You must provide a heat pad for tenrecs year round
otherwise they can go into torpor during cooler times of the year. Any temperatures below 75 degrees seem to trigger the torpor state. Try to avoid torpor because it can by physiologically stressful for the animal.
Can tenrecs eat grapes?
Tenrecs will
eat just about any bug, dried or alive
. … There are some fruits that we humans eat that are toxic to tenrecs, like citrus and grapes. Vegetables. While it is recommended to gut load your insects with vegetables prior to using them as feeders, tenrecs may like to eat veggies themselves from time to time.
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 friendlier than hedgehogs?
Tenrecs as pets do not usually bite, and
are much more open to being friendly than a hedgehog
. Tenrecs are shorter and smaller than hedgehogs and weigh less than them as well. Tenrecs on average weigh between 130 grams and 200 grams but go into a hibernation like state called torpor during the winter.
Why do tenrecs bite?
This is how it defends itself against anything it perceives as a threat and will retain that posture for as long as they feel threatened. On the other hand, when
tenrecs feel threatened
, they are more likely to bite than to ball up. Most pet tenrecs have been well socialized, so this may not be a concern.
Do tenrecs swim?
Forgotten species: Madagascar's water-loving mammal, the aquatic tenrec. … This small and, yes, adorable insectivore, also known as the web-footed tenrec, lives in Eastern Madagascar where at night it spends the majority of its
time swimming
and diving in fast-moving streams for insects and tadpoles.
Tenrecs are probably most
closely related to golden moles
(CHRYSOCHLORIDAE). Along with golden moles, scientists now consider tenrecs part of the Afrotheria
How do you care for a tenrec?
If you are interested in owning one of these special little creatures please contact us. Please do your research prior to considering owning one of these little guys. They are
pretty easy to care for
, with a few caveats! A wonderful Facebook group that has tons of information is called Everything Tenrec.
