Small Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec
Echinops telfairi
Home
Range
Southern and southwestern Madagscar
Habitat
Dry forest, dry coastal regions, and semidesert
Diet
Insects and occasionally fruit
Reproduction
After gestation of about 49 days, a litter of one to ten young (usually five to seven) is born. The young weigh only about eight grams, and become independent after 30 to 35 days.
Social Structure
Solitary. Active mainly at night; hibernates for three to five months, during the cold season.
Fun Facts
When threatened, these tenrecs curl into a ball, leaving only sharp spines—modified hairs—exposed.
There are more than 20 species of tenrecs, adapted for living in trees and water and on the ground. Most live in Madagascar, but some can be found on mainland Africa and the Comoro Islands.
The Zoo is also home to the greater Madagascar tenrec.
