ANIMAL: Lesser Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec Echinops telfairi Type of Animal: Tenrec Habitat: Scrubland, forest, semidesert, coastal areas, coastal plains, grassland, shrubland, farmland, savanna, marshes, agricultural areas, desert Location(s): S & SW Madagascar Appearance: Small stout mammal resembling hedgehog, pointed snout, barely visible tail, mixed-color spines, coloration ranges from pale cream/light blond to dark brown/black Food/Diet: Insects, insect larvae, earthworms, slugs, snails, eggs, baby mice, fruit, berries, vegetables, cat food, chicks, fish Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers Lifestyle: Solitary, male-female pairs, or small colonies of 2-7 females (sometimes w/ a male) Additional Info: Called: Male: Boar Female: Sow Young: Pup/Hoglet Group: Colony Weight: Male: 6-9 oz Female: 4-8 oz Young: 1 oz Gestation: 8-9 weeks Life Span: 8 years in wild, 10-14 years in captivity Body Length: 5-7 in Tail Length: 0.5-0.7 in Main predators are fossa, raptors, snakes, mongooses, cats, & dogs. Larger individuals sometimes eat much smaller individuals. Active at night (nocturnal). Hunt by using keen hearing/sense of smell. Usually breed in October, giving birth 8-9 weeks later to 1-10 pups. Pups may leave mom as early as 1 month old. Maturity reached at close to a year old. These animals sometimes kept as pets. Fun Fact(s): When threatened, they roll into tight spiny ball. If this doesn’t work, they will unroll to hiss/charge/bite. In parts of their range, they can be in a torpid state for up to 9 months-especially if extra dry or unusually cool. Unlike most mammals, females have a single cloaca for reproductive/intestinal/urinary functions.
