Tailless tenrec, Pyreras Reserve, Madagascar
Another Madagascar-only category: Tenrecs. Tenrecs visually somewhat resemble a hedgehog yet are not closely related. All 31 Tenrec species are believed to descend from a single ancestor that rafted from mainland Africa to Madagascar some 29-37 millions of years ago.
Some unique characteristics of Tenrecs:
- Low body temperature for a mammal, so no scrotum needed to cool sperm
- The anus and urogenital tracts share a single opening, very unusual for a mammal
- They can't see much yet compensate with other keen senses, especially their whiskers are sensitive
- Female carry as many as 32 young and have 29 teats, more than any other mammal
- They can hibernate uninterrupted for 9 months, longer than any other tropical mammal
Diversity within the Tenrec group is enormous. This particular one, the Tailless tenrec, does have a tail yet it is very short. It is the largest of Tenrec species and very spikey, even the face is covered with sharp spikes.
The tailless tenrec , also known as the common tenrec, is a species of mammal in the Tenrecidae family. It is the only member of the genus, ''Tenrec''. It is found in Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, and Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, subtropical.. more
