A family of 31 species found only on Madagascar. Having evolved in isolation, different tenrecs look like hedgehogs, shrews, opossums or mice, and they live in trees, in burrows, on the ground or in streams. Most are nocturnal and eat mainly invertebrates.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Insects only
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Most species are nocturnal, with poor eyesight but sharp other senses.
Hibernates?Yes
The tailless tenrec was the first tropical mammal found to hibernate, for up to nine months without waking.
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
The lesser hedgehog tenrec is increasingly popular in the pet trade.
Do people eat it?In places
Eaten by some people on Mauritius and Mayotte, where the tailless tenrec was introduced.
At a glance
Found inMadagascar
HabitatForest, Rainforest, Scrub
ColoursBrown, Yellow, Black
SizeTiny
LengthFrom 4.5 cm up to 39 cm (tailless tenrec)
WeightFrom 5 g to about 2 kg
Legs4
Covered inSpines
Lives alone
Lives for5–10 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Madagascar; the tailless tenrec was also introduced to the Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion and the Seychelles.
- What it eats
- Mainly insects and other invertebrates; larger species also eat frogs, small mammals, fruit and leaves.
Did you know
Looks like a hedgehog but is more closely related to an elephant.
The tailless tenrec can have 32 young in one litter, and females have up to 29 teats, more than any other mammal.
It was the first tropical mammal found to hibernate, for up to nine months without waking.
Often confused with
On these lists
Sources
Last reviewed
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
