Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec: Echinops telfairi
In the Wild
Description:
Size: Typically 5-6.5 inches long
Weight: About 7 ounces
Although they are similar in appearance to hedgehogs, they have adapted spines
separately and are not closely related
o The closest relatives to the tenrec family are otter shrews and golden moles
o Are more distantly related to sengis (elephant shrews), aardvarks, elephants,
hyraxes, dugongs, and manatees
Their backs are covered in sharp spines of varying color, from tan or off-white to dark
brown-black
The belly, face, and legs are not covered in spines, but short, soft hair
Have short tails, prominent ears, 5-toed feet with sharp claws, and many whiskers on
the face
Males and females cannot be differentiated externally
Habitat and Range:
Found in southern and southwestern Madagascar
Prefer dry areas such as dry forests, scrublands, agricultural areas, dry coastal regions,
and semi-desert regions
Diet:
Omnivorous: Eat insects and their larvae, eggs, spiders, and occasionally fruit
Adaptations:
Have sharp, barbed spines covering their back
o Will curl into a ball when threatened to expose the spines and protect their head
o Spines are lifted and lowered by a well-developed muscle under their skin called
the panniculus carnosus
o If potential predators are persistent, will come out of the ball and bite
Have poor eyesight so rely on their excellent sense of smell and hearing
Are able to climb trees using their sharp toenails
Are able to lower their body temperature while sleeping to save energy
Their bodies are able to prepare for breeding while in a state of torpor, an important
and unique adaptation which allows them to breed within several days of becoming
active after the cold season
Lifespan:
About 5-10 years, recorded up to 19 years
Ecosystem relationships:
Predators: Include birds of prey, viverrid carnivores (such as genets and civets), and
snakes
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Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec: Echinops telfairi
Reproduction:
Are sexually mature after they have gone through their first cold season in torpor
Females have a cloaca – a single reproductive, intestinal, and urinary opening, unlike
most mammals which have 2 or 3 separate openings
Breeding occurs within several days after coming out of torpor, around October
depending on temperatures – during colder years, may remain in torpor later
About a month and a half after mating, females give birth to 1-10 (normally 5-7) young
Newborns weigh approximately 8 grams
Females care for their young for about a month without assistance from males
Activity:
Nocturnal: Often rest in hollow trees during the day
Semi-arboreal: Are both terrestrial (ground-dwelling) and arboreal (tree-dwelling) – are
excellent climbers
Enter a state of torpor during the cold season for 3-5 months
Enter a daily state torpor during the warmer season – while sleeping, their temperature
drops to save energy
Mostly solitary, but sometimes adults have been found together during torpor
Other “fun facts”:
Are also sometimes called small Madagascar hedgehog tenrecs
Were named Echinops telfairi to honor a British naturalist named Charles Telfair
Are 24 species of tenrecs – some are adapted for life in trees, on the ground, or in the
water
Most species of tenrecs live in Madagascar, but some can be found on mainland Africa
and the Comoro Islands
One difference between tenrecs and hedgehogs is that hedgehogs hiss at potential
predators when rolled into a ball, while tenrecs will come out of the ball to bite and
attack persistent threats
Conservation Status and Threats:
Listed on IUCN Red List as Least Concern – although they are considered widespread
and somewhat adaptable, they are threatened by several factors:
o Most native populations (as much as 80% of the island’s people) live below the
poverty level and rely on subsistence farming, called tavy, or slash-and-burn
agriculture
 Deforestation typically happens on a small scale, but is extremely
widespread – deforestation has affected about 80% of Madagascar's
forests
 Wood is primarily used for firewood and charcoal production
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Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec: Echinops telfairi
o Madagascar is home to a wide diversity of plants and animals – about 95% of
Madagascar’s reptiles, 89% of its plants, and 92% of its mammals are endemic to
the island of Madagascar (are found nowhere else in the world but Madagascar)
 With so many exotic animals found nowhere else in the world, many
animals are collected for the pet trade
 Many of the protected areas left in Madagascar are also popular places
for tourists to view the biodiversity-rich island – studies have found that
areas disturbed by tourists have less animals, including tenrecs, as
compared to undisturbed areas
At the Zoo
Mosi (male) and Mchumba (female) were born in 2013 and acquired from a private breeder.
Mosi is Swahili for “first born” and Mchumba is Swahili for “sweetheart”.
What We Can Do
Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat –
conserve energy, reduce litter and pollution
Make sure you know the origin of the products you buy – buying something imported
illegally supports the black market by sustaining demand
o Ex. Rosewood is still being illegally imported from Madagascar despite bans on
logging because people are still buying it
o When buying wood and paper products, look for the “FSC” (Forest Stewardship
Council) label, which identifies legal products from sustainable sources – can
pledge not to buy products unless they have the “FSC” label by visiting
https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=U
serAction&id=137
Do your research before buying a pet
o Make sure you are not purchasing a wild-caught individual – captive-bred species
are often easy to find
o Make sure you know how to properly care for any animal before you decide to
buy it as a pet
 Some things to consider include adequate housing, diet, temperature
requirements, and lifespan
 Some pets also require a lot of time and money to be properly cared for
References:
Macdonald, David W. “Tenrecs and Golden Moles” The Princeton Encyclopedia of
Mammals. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2006. 68-73. Print.
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/40592/0
http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/bmammals/afrotheria/tenrecs/
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/smallmammals/fact-tenrec.cfm
http://plants.jstor.org/person/bm000008373
http://eol.org/pages/1178673/details
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Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec: Echinops telfairi
http://www.lpzoo.org/animals/factsheet/lesser-madagascar-hedgehog-tenrec
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Tenrecidae/
http://www.houstonzoo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Madagascar-LesserHedgehog-Tenrec-2013.pdf
http://www.oaklandzoo.org/Tenrec.php
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cloaca
http://www.conservation.org/where/africa_madagascar/madagascar/Pages/projects
.aspx
http://worldwildlife.org/places/madagascar
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