Hedgehog treks

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hedgehog treks
Great tenrek (Tenrec ecaudatus)

Great tenrek ( Tenrec ecaudatus )

Systematics
Subclass : Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate : Afrotheria
without rank: Afroinsectiphilia
Order : Tenrecus (Afrosoricida)
Family : Tenreks (Tenrecidae)
Subfamily : Hedgehog treks
Scientific name
Tenrecinae
Gray , 1821

The hedgehog or hedgehog (Tenrecinae) form a subfamily of the Tenreks (Tenrecidae). You are probably one of the best-known representatives of your family. This group is divided into four genera with five species:

Hedgehog tenreks live almost exclusively in Madagascar , only the great tenrek occurs on some islands in the area.

The large and small hedgehog tenrek are characterized by a pronounced spiked dress on the back, which gives them a particularly hedgehog- like appearance. The other two genera have a bristly dorsal fur from which at most a few spines protrude. They are characterized by a pointed snout, the tail is stunted or missing entirely.

Hedgehog treks are mostly nocturnal animals that retreat to earth burrows during the day and, apart from the striped duck trek, generally live solitary. Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates such as insects , earthworms and mollusks , and occasionally they also eat small vertebrates .

The mating takes place in the Malagasy spring (usually September to October) and after a gestation period of 45 to 70 days, usually between two and 15 young animals are born, with the great tenrek the litter size can be up to 32, which is a record among mammals. The young grow very quickly and mate for the first time after the first winter.

Due to their ability to live in the fields and in human proximity, the hedgehog treks are not endangered species.

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .