What do tailless tenrec eat?
It not only eats small invertebrates and animals such as frogs and mice, it also eats leaves. If threatened, this tenrec will scream, erect its spiny hairs to a crest, jump, buck and bite. It shelters in a nest of grass and leaves under a rock, log or bush by day.
Why is my tenrec not eating?
In the wild tenrecs naturally stop eating and constantly sleep during a period of time called torpor. It is like hibernation, but not as deep of a sleep, from which they may or may not get up to drink or eat. In the wild it would allow tenrecs to survive the season of intense heat and lack of food.
What plants do tenrecs eat?
A tenrec’s torpor can last three to five months! Delicious diet. The lesser hedgehog tenrec is classified as an insectivore, but is actually an omnivore. In addition to eating insects and their larvae on the ground or in trees, it can also prey upon small vertebrates and bird eggs and it occasionally consumes fruit.
Do tenrecs need heat?
Tenrecs need a heat source such as an overhead heat lamp or ceramics. If they do not have enough heat that over the cooler months they may enter a state known as brumation. Tenrecs are insectivores and so this should form the majority of their diet.
Are tenrecs aggressive?
The animals are almost completely nocturnal. They are social animals and always sleep together in one nesting-box. Adult males can be very aggressive towards each other but one male can be kept together with more than one female without problems. When handled regularly, most animals become very tame.
What kind of food does a common tenrec eat?
Common tenrec is an omnivore (eats both plant- and meat-based diet). Its diet consists of fruit, various plants, invertebrates, reptiles and small mammals. Common tenrec is nocturnal animal (active during the night). Common tenrec hibernates during the warmest periods of the year when the food sources are scarce.
How big is the body of a common tenrec?
Common tenrec can reach 10 to 15 ½ inches in length and weigh between 3 ¼ and 5 ½ pounds. Body of common tenrec is covered with medium sized fur. Color of the fur depends on the habitat (it provides camouflage).
What kind of fur does a common tenrec have?
Body of common tenrec is covered with medium sized fur. Color of the fur depends on the habitat (it provides camouflage). Fur is usually reddish or grey in color. Even though it is known as “tailless”, common tenrec has very short tail. It usually reaches ½ inches in length and can be detected only after detailed inspection.
What kind of habitat does a tenrec live in?
Common tenrec, also known as tailless tenrec, is a type of mammal with unusual characteristics. This creature lives on the Madagascar and on the nearby islands. Common tenrec can be found in subtropical and tropical forests, savannas, scrublands, pastures and urban areas. Tenrecs prefer areas near the water.