Small hedgehog trek

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Small hedgehog trek
Echinops telfairi Plzen zoo 02.2011.jpg

Lesser hedgehog trek ( Echinops telfairi )

Systematics
without rank: Afroinsectiphilia
Order : Tenrecus (Afrosoricida)
Family : Tenreks (Tenrecidae)
Subfamily : Hedgehog treks (Tenrecinae)
Genre : Echinops
Type : Small hedgehog trek
Scientific name of the  genus
Echinops
Martin , 1838
Scientific name of the  species
Echinops telfairi
Martin , 1838

The Little Igeltenrek ( Echinops telfairi ), also Kleiner Igeltenrek or Telfair's Igeltanrek , is a species of mammal from the Tenrek family (Tenrecidae). It lives in the dry forests, bushes and grasslands in western and southern Madagascar and also occurs in landscapes that are dominated by humans. Both the scientific genus and the German trivial name refer to the external similarities to hedgehogs , which is caused by the round body, the pointed snout and the spiky coat. However, the animals only reach half the size of a European hedgehog, and the relative long-leggedness is also a striking difference. The color of the fur is varied. A particularly noticeable feature can be found in the structure of the teeth, as the small hedgehog tenrek has the most reduced set of teeth among the tenreks.

In contrast to hedgehogs, the small hedgehog trek is adapted to a life in trees and, with its short, strongly curved claws and graspable hands and feet, can climb very well in branches. It uses tree hollows or dead trees as resting places and is mostly nocturnal. He uses a simple echolocation for orientation . The main diet includes insects and other invertebrates , and sometimes smaller vertebrates . The animals specialize in surviving in arid landscapes, they obtain a large part of their fluid requirements from food and are able to accumulate urine , and their body temperature is unstable and adapts to the outside temperature. In the dry and cool season, when the food supply decreases, they fall into a state of rigidity ( torpor ). Reproduction takes place in the warmer and more humid seasons, a litter consists of up to ten young, whose individual development proceeds very quickly. With the exception of the dams with their offspring, the small hedgehog trek occurs mostly alone.

The first description of the small hedgehog trek took place in 1838. In the following 100 years or so, the independent genus status, and in some cases also the species status, was questioned several times. However, numerous features could be worked out that distinguish the small hedgehog trek from its sister species, the large hedgehog trek . Its existence is not endangered.

features

Habitus

Size comparison with human hand
Light ( albino ) and dark color variations

The small hedgehog trek is a medium-sized representative of the tenreks and is on average slightly smaller than the great hedgehog trek ( Setifer setosus ), but both species look similar on the outside. The total length varies from 14 to 18 cm, the tail is a stub only 10 to 13 mm long. The body weight varies between 110 and 250 g, depending on the constitution of the individual, with an average of 140 g. A noticeable sexual dimorphism is not pronounced, but males appear to have a wider head with a larger eye relief. General striking is the compact, round and hedgehog-like physique, but the little Hedgehog Tenrec is only half the size of the European Braunbrust Hedgehog . The back including the tail is covered by a dense spiked dress, the color of which is very varied. There are individuals with a pale gray to slate gray and dark gray tint, as well as almost white ( albinotic ) animals. The spines have black or red shafts and black and white tips. They can be erected like the hedgehogs, but with a length of 10 to 12 mm, they are significantly shorter than these. The face, the underside and the legs are covered with soft, short-haired fur of a white-gray color. The snout is long and pointed, the ears are relatively large with a length of 25 mm. The prominent vibrissae are a little shorter than in the great hedgehog trek. The limbs appear rather elongated, they end in front and back in five fingers or toes, which are equipped with claws. Their length is 3 mm at the front and 4 mm at the back. The respective inner and outer rays are reduced in length. The rear foot length is 20 mm. The females have a total of 6 pairs of teats .

Skull and dentition features

A measured skull was 34.1 mm long and 16.7 mm wide at the zygomatic arch . The shortest skull width is found in the area of ​​the eyes and was 9.1 mm. Overall, the skull is relatively short, both on the rostrum and on the brain capsule. The former is also broad and deep. The interocular region is greatly elongated. In side view, the forehead line is barely arched in contrast to the Great Igeltenrek. The frontal bones are also not inflated. As with all tenreks, the zygomatic arch is not fully developed. On the occiput , strong bones are formed as muscle attachment points. The dentition of the small hedgehog trek consists of a total of 32 teeth, making it the most reduced and noticeable difference to the large hedgehog trek among the tenreks. The dental formula is: . Characteristic diastemata are missing in the anterior dentition . In the upper row of teeth, the inner incisor protrudes beyond the canine , in the lower jaw the canine is roughly the same size as the second incisor, which in turn exceeds the first in height. All front teeth have additional cusps on the tooth crowns. The last two premolars are similar to the molars , while the front premolar is rather simple. Similar to the other tenreks, the molars have a zalambdodontic occlusal surface pattern consisting of three main tubercles. They are greatly reduced in size, so that in the upper row of teeth the last premolar is the largest tooth.

Skeletal features

The spine consists of 7 cervical, 15 to 16 thoracic, 6 to 7 lumbar, 2 sacrum and 8 to 9 tail vertebrae. The musculoskeletal system has some adaptations to the tree-climbing way of life. At the humerus to a more rounded and less stretched joint head emerging. The cubit is rather long and narrow and not as short and wide as in digging tenreks. The olecranon , the upper articular process of the ulna, is also not as much expanded as, for example, in the striped ducklings ( Hemicentetes ), it takes up about 16% of the entire bone length. The carpal bones are short, and unlike the burrowing striped ducklings, there are no adhesions, which may increase the mobility of the hand when climbing. In contrast, the metacarpal bones are rather elongated, which also results in a comparatively elongated first ray. The hand is therefore better suited for grasping branches. As with other climbers, the fingers end in short and strongly curved claws. The peculiarity of the locomotion of the small hedgehog trek in the trees means that the ankle is built highly mobile. This is achieved, for example, by very flat ankles or by some peculiarities of the ankle bone, such as only flat bone ribs on the talus roll or an even transition to the neck or a more central position of the talus head.

distribution and habitat

Distribution of the small hedgehog trek

The small hedgehog trek is endemic to Madagascar . Its habitat includes the dry deciduous forests in the west and the very dry thorn forests in the southwest. It also occurs in open grasslands several kilometers away from forests and in anthropogenic open landscapes. In the west, that of the Tsiribihina River represents the northern limit of the occurrence, in the southeast the species has been detected up to the Andohahela region on the western foothills of the Anosyenne Mountains . Investigations in the dry forests since the end of the 1990s have provided evidence of the small hedgehog at around 20 different localities, including the Kirindy forest area. Here, analyzes of the habitat use showed that the animals prefer dense forests, which probably offer a certain protection from predators such as birds of prey , and also areas with a certain herbaceous layer and thus a higher food supply. The altitude distribution extends up to about 1300 m. The small hedgehog trek is considered relatively common within the individual find locations.

Way of life

Territorial and social behavior

Small hedgehog climbing in the branches

The way of life of the lesser hedgehog trek has been studied relatively well, but many observations have been made on animals in human captivity. The Little Igeltenrek is nocturnal, its activity times start around 3:00 p.m., a first maximum is reached between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., followed by a second one after midnight. After that, the activity drops continuously until around 6:00 a.m. and the rest period begins, which lasts until around noon. In total, the Little Igeltenrek is active 14 hours a day and rests for the remaining ten hours. The animals spend the day or the resting phase in tree hollows 3.5 to 6 m above the ground, under fallen trees or in burrows in the root system. In the shelters there are nests made of plant material such as leaves or grass, which the animals transport with their mouths. They curl up in a tight ball to sleep. In addition to the cyclical daily routine, there is a special annual rhythm, since the animals fall into a daily state of rigidity ( torpor ) in the dry season (May to September, which corresponds to the southern winter) when the food supply is reduced , the phase lasts three to three times depending on external circumstances five months. On the ground they move forward in a cloister and step with their entire foot ( sole passage ). When running fast, however, the little hedgehog can stand on toes. He is a skilled climber and climbs trees. The hands and feet grip the branches and twigs and the short, strongly curved claws act as crampons, so that it can climb down head first like a squirrel . The short tail is also used to pry off steep, rough surfaces. When climbing, the animals carefully loosen their hands and feet from the ground. They are also able to hang from a branch with only their hind feet. The foot, in particular, can be twisted a lot, so that the little hedgehog can make headway even in difficult terrain. It is possible that special glands on the feet that expel a secretion support the climbing locomotion and secure the animals from slipping. In addition to climbing, the little hedgehog can swim with alternating movements of the limbs. Orientation in the branches is partly done by sniffing through the sense of smell or with the help of clicking tongues that support simple echolocation . The sounds generated in this way have a frequency of 7 to 17  kHz and last between 0.1 and 1.8 ms. This area also has the highest sensitivity for the hearing ability of the little hedgehog.

Small hedgehog trek

The social organization of the small hedgehog trek is less complex than that of the striped duck trek ( Hemicentetes ). It is mostly solitary with the exception of mother-young groups. Under certain circumstances, however, several individuals can be found in one shelter during the torpor phase. Encounters between male animals are often aggressive. After initial sniffing, they then attack each other with head butts, which is associated with erecting the spines, especially those above the eyes. Inferior animals completely curl up in a ball. The actions are accompanied by tongue clicks similar to echolocation sounds, they may support localization of the other person. An open mouth, as in the great tenrek ( Tenrec ecaudatu ) , appears rather seldom as a threatening gesture, but a gnashing of teeth is more often heard, which probably signals aggressiveness. Sound communication also consists of different tones, which are usually emitted in the event of disturbances. They range from high-pitched beeps in young animals to chirping tones and a "putt-putt" call in adult animals. The intra-species communication still takes place via the sense of smell . The small hedgehog marks certain places with feces and urine . Noteworthy are the rhythmic movements of the body muscles performed during defecation , as a result of which the spines are moved and rubbed against each other and thus produce a deep sound. The sound formation is reminiscent of the stridulation of the striped tenreks and also occurs in partner advertising, its exact meaning is unknown. A conspicuous behavior consists in splashing foreign smells, for example with urine of foreign animals, which is mixed with its own scented secretions and distributed scratching with the front feet. Hedgehogs have also shown something similar. For further comfort level next to the scratching and the "face wash" owned by grinding movements with both front feet simultaneously.

Diet and energy balance

The little hedgehog eats mainly animal food, according to studies of individuals living in captivity, the main prey includes insects such as grasshoppers , house crickets , butterflies , owls and meal beetles , but also earthworms . They also ate small vertebrates , including frogs and newborn mice , and offal. They largely disdain herbal products. The food is mostly searched for alone, tracked down with the sense of smell, grasped with the mouth and slowly chewed. The front feet play a minor role in manipulating prey, but are sometimes used to crush insects. Sometimes the animals vomit their food again as a mixed, pulpy mass and swallow it again, which is also known in part from the striped duck and could possibly be related to too hasty food intake and subsequent reorganization in the stomach. The amount of food consumed daily is far less than, for example, the highly specialized striped duck trek, with healthy food the small hedgehog trek needs between 3.6 and 7.1% of its own body mass, the equivalent of a good 9.5 to 14.2 g. The Little Hedgehog Takes seldom water, its kidneys specialize in enriching urine in certain quantities, which is important for survival in dry landscapes. After a long period of drought, however, an animal can absorb up to 10% of its body weight in water.

As with many other tenreks, the small hedgehog tenrek is characterized by an unstable body temperature. In active animals it fluctuates between 21.9 and 31.2 ° C with outside temperatures of 14 to 32 ° C, extreme values ​​are between 18.4 and 36.2 ° C. There is a dependence on the external conditions, and the body temperature noticeably follows the activity cycle. The highest values ​​are reached in the late afternoon and early evening hours and shortly after midnight, when the animals show their most intense activities. During this time, the animals actively regulate their body temperature. In the early morning hours, i.e. at the time of relative inactivity, the body temperature drops sharply, then there is largely no more regulation. The respiratory and heartbeat rates show a similar cyclical course over the day. When the outside temperature is less than 15 ° C, the little hedgehog becomes lethargic and falls into a torpor. This is much more intense during the southern winter. Then it starts shortly after midnight and lasts for 12 to 18 hours, in some observed individuals it lasted uninterrupted for up to four days. In individual cases, the body temperature can then also fall below the values ​​of the outside temperature. Under controlled test conditions it was shown that the Little Igeltenrek falls into a torpor every day of the year. In summer when the outside temperature fluctuates, it passively uses the rising ambient temperatures to warm the body and to exit the rigid phase. This takes place synchronously between the individual individuals. In contrast, the animals wake up individually in summer when the outside temperature is stable and need more energy of their own. In winter, regardless of the surrounding temperature, which fluctuates strongly or slightly, the torper lasts longer and the animals wake up more or less simultaneously. According to this, the point in time for leaving the Toprer is an important factor, which, with chronological synchronicity, enables not only more effective food intake under more favorable climatic conditions, but also more intensive social relationships.

The metabolic rate is very low and is only 28 to 35% of the value that is to be expected in mammals of the same size. It also varies over the course of the day. In phases of high stress such as reproduction or milk production, for example, it also increases sharply. During this phase, females also have a constant body temperature that is independent of the outside temperature and rarely drops below 32 ° C. Associated with both is a considerable increase in body weight in the females, in some cases by up to 100 g, which is only partly due to the growing up of the offspring in the womb. The high energetic costs for both the development of the embryos and the production for milk are probably offset by increased food consumption. In addition, there is also a natural rhythm of fluctuating body mass in males, which is related to the winter torpor phase.

Reproduction

Two small hedgehog tenreks

Reproduction is seasonally limited and depends on external conditions, the associated annual rhythm of activity and weight changes. Under natural conditions, it takes place in the southern summer from November to January, but the time can be controlled in human captivity. The partner advertising begins shortly after the end of the Torpor phase and lasts for three to four weeks. The male gives head butts, the female sniffs at different parts of the body such as the face or rubs his body against that of the partner. The female sometimes makes chirping sounds. The mating dance is also accompanied by the erection of the body spines. During the sexual act , the male sits on top of the female. The entire procedure can take several hours. The gestation period is sometimes given as 62 to 66 days, according to other reports it is also less than 50 days. According to studies from 2007 it varies between 50 and 79 days, its duration shortens the more the later it starts in the breeding season. While carrying the offspring, the female reacts very aggressively to males. One week before the birth, the female begins to build the birth nest, this activity can drag on until after the birth.

A litter consists of two to ten (on average seven) young animals, between the oldest and the youngest newborn there can be an interval of up to 30 hours. The boys weigh between 3.8 and 9.6 g, occasionally over 10 g, whereby the particularly small ones usually do not survive the first week. The offspring are born hairless, blind and deaf, but vibrissae are already developed and up to 6 mm long. The young can already crawl and have sharp claws that are suitable for clinging. On the other hand, the ability to roll into a ball is different within a throw. Young crawling around brings the mother back to the nest, carrying it in its mouth. Especially in the first week there is a strong protective instinct in the mother, who defends her offspring against all kinds of threats. Individual development is relatively quick. After just four days, most of the body is covered with bristles and spines. The eyes open after seven to nine days, at ten days the cubs follow the mother to the nest entrance. From the 14th day of life they eat solid food and their ears open around a day later. The weaning of the first boys begins on day 19, but the process can continue up to day 33 in some individuals. At around one month, the young animals are independent. Sexual maturity only occurs after the next torpor phase. Life expectancy in the wild is unknown, the highest known age of an animal in captivity was 19 years.

Predators and parasites

Possibly the spiked dress and the ability to curl up in a ball in case of danger protect the little hedgehog more than other members of the family from predators , as a predator in the dry forests of western Madagascar, the fossa comes into consideration. According to investigations of 114 remains of the predator's faeces in the forest area of ​​Kirindy, the small hedgehog trek achieved an individual share of 5.4% and a biomass share of 0.3% in the total prey spectrum. External parasites provide, inter alia, ticks are, for example Haemaphysalis , are at inner previously nematodes such Physaloptera , acanthocephala as Promoniliformis and tapeworms as Pseudanoplocephala detected. In the small hedgehog trek, bone growth disorders sometimes occur in the form of osteomalacia , which are most likely caused by the animals' low-energy insect diet.

Systematics

Internal systematics of the Tenreks according to Everson et al. 2016
 Tenrecidae  
  Tenrecinae  


 Echinops telfairi


   

 Setifer



   

 Hemicentetes 


   

 Tenrec




   
  Geogalinae  

 Geogals


  Oryzorictinae  

 Oryzorictes 


   

 Nesogale


   

 Microgale






Template: Klade / Maintenance / Style

The small hedgehog is a species from the genus Echinops , which is considered to be monotypical . Species and genus are within the family of tenrecs (Tenrecidae) and form together with the Great Tenrek ( Tenrec ecaudatus ) and the Great Hedgehog Tenrec ( Setifer setosus ) and the hemicentetes ( Hemicentetes ) the subfamily of Igeltenreks (Tenrecinae), one of the three main lines of Tenreks. The main characteristic of the hedgehog tenreks is their spiky coat. This distinguishes them from the other soft-haired tenreks, which on the one hand include the very diverse rice burrowers (Oryzorictinae) and on the other hand the monotypical earth tenreks (Geogalinae). The small hedgehog trek differs from all other members of the family in its greatly reduced number of teeth, but outwardly it resembles the large hedgehog trek. According to molecular genetic analyzes , the two species form sister forms , they are in turn opposed to a clade formed from the great tenrek and the striped tenrek. The fork of the line of origin of the small and large hedgehog treks occurred in the Middle Miocene around 10.2 million years ago.

The first scientific description of the species and genus was in 1838 by William Charles Linnaeus Martin . He was referring to an approximately 13 cm long individual whose origin he generally stated as Madagascar. Martin described the animal outwardly as very similar to the hedgehogs , even more so than the other tenreks, but the structure of the teeth differed significantly from the former. The scientific generic name Echinops , which is made up of the Latin word echinus for "hedgehog" and the Greek word ὤψ ( ōps ) for "face", alludes to the similarities to the hedgehogs . The specific epithet telfairi honors William Telfair , a member of the Zoological Society of London . He had already presented a similar animal in a letter to the Zoological Society in 1833. However, the individual was only 16 days old and was therefore considered by Telfair to be a young of the Great Tenrec. Martin, however, assumed that it was a young animal of the small hedgehog trek, according to other authors it belongs to the great hedgehog trek. Three years later, Martin presented his new species in more detail in a more detailed report.

The great variety in the fur color of the little hedgehog trek led to the establishment of further species and subspecies over time. In 1869 , Alfred Grandidier created the form Echinops mivarti , which stood out due to its smaller body size, a blackish tint and short spines. The type specimen comes from near Toliara in the southwest of Madagascar. More than two decades later, Oldfield Thomas created the subspecies Echinops telfairi pallescens . The specimens examined had been collected in southern Madagascar and were distinguished by the white tips of the spines. Ericulus telfairi nigrescens goes back to Gabriel Petit , he named the subspecies in 1931. It was based on an individual from the region around Morombe in the southwest of the island. It was characterized by a generally larger build, while the spines on the back appeared black in the upper half and smoky brown in the lower half. Today all three forms are identical to the little hedgehog trek.

Echinops or Setifer - aspects of research history

Graphic representation of the little hedgehog trek from William Charles Linnaeus Martin's description from 1841

As early as 1753, Carl von Linné assigned the generic name Echinops to the spherical thistle in his reference work Species Plantarum . This prompted Johann Andreas Wagner to create the name Echinogale for the little hedgehog in 1841 . Although this was subsequently taken up by Wilhelm Peters , among others , the introduction of a new generic name was largely rejected. The name is now a synonym for Echinops as an animal species. In addition, the independence of the Echinops species was the subject of several scientific disputes in the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was often equated with Setifer or its synonym form Ericulus . Fredericus Anna Jentink went so far in 1879 that he classified the small Igeltenrek as identical to the large one. He justified the step with the holotype of the small hedgehog trek, which in his opinion represents a not fully grown specimen of the great hedgehog trek. For him, the small body size and the missing third molars provided evidence of this. A few years later, George Edward Dobson also adopted this view in his classic treatise on insectivores. Oldfield Thomas contradicted this, however, in 1892 and reassigned the Kleiner Igeltenrek to a species status. He not only emphasized the different set of teeth, but also the differently shaped claws, which are proportionally much shorter and narrower in the small hedgehog trek than in the large one. At the beginning of the 20th century, Wilhelm Leche refused to separate the two genres; he saw a gradual change from large to small hedgehog trek in the differing dentition structure with different numbers of teeth. That could Max Kollmann in 1913 not confirm he reiterated the points made already by Thomas arguments, in addition he also differences in the structure of spines on alongside individual skull characteristics. In Echinops these are covered by a hexagonal ornament similar to honeycombs, which also occurs in Setifer , but is less prominent here. Kollmann then gave a detailed analysis of the two genera Echinops and Setifer ( Ericulus ). A new combination of the two genera took place in 1930, but Gabriel Petit separated them in 1931, naming all the aforementioned characteristics at the level of the subgenus. In the following years Echinops and Setifer were usually run as independent.

Tribal history

There are isolated subfossil remains of the small hedgehog trek. Significant finds came to light in the Ankilitelo Cave on the southern edge of the Mikoboka Plateau north of Toliara in southwestern Madagascar. The cave is characterized by a rich fauna and has been scientifically studied since 1994. In addition to various primates , bats and rodents as well as at least half a dozen species of tenreks were recovered. The Kleiner Igeltenrek is covered with several remains of pine. The age of the finds is around 510 to 630 years. Additional remains of the Tenrekart have been documented in the Andrahomana Cave in the extreme southeast of Madagascar. The cave, which has been known as a fossil store since the end of the 19th century, is embedded in the Eolianite outcrops of the cliff and also contains an extremely rich fossil material. This covers the period of the last 8,700 years. While the Ankilitelo Cave is part of today's distribution area of ​​the Lesser Igeltenreks, the Andrahomana Cave is located on its eastern edge. Both find regions are characterized by dry climates, with the latter also having a certain influence of the humid conditions of eastern Madagascar noticeable.

Threat and protection

The small hedgehog trek is widespread, so the population is considered to be relatively large. In addition, the animals can cope with landscapes that have been changed by humans. According to the IUCN , no threats are known, which is why it lists the species as "not at risk" ( least concern ). The extraction of wood can have a certain impact on the stocks locally. The small hedgehog trek occurs in several protected areas, including in the Andohahela National Park .

With around a dozen German zoos, the Kleine Igeltenrek is by far the most frequently held representative of the tenreks in the German zoo landscape. Small and medium-sized institutions in particular show and breed the species. In the rest of Europe, too, it is relatively common in zoological parks.

literature

  • JF Eisenberg and Edwin Gould: The Tenrecs: A Study in Mammalian Behavior and Evolution. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970, pp. 1-138
  • Kathryn M. Everson, Voahangy Soarimalala, Steven M. Goodman and Link E. Olson: Multiple loci and complete taxonomic sampling resolve the phylogeny and biogeographic history of tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and reveal higher speciation rates in Madagascar's humid forests. Systematic Biology 65 (5), 2016, pp. 890-909 doi: 10.1093 / sysbio / syw034
  • Nick Garbutt: Mammals of Madagascar. A complete guide. Yale University Press, 2007, pp. 1–304 (pp. 32–56)
  • Paulina D. Jenkins: Tenrecidae (Tenrecs and Shrew tenrecs). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 134-172 (p. 163) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
  • William Charles Linnaeus Martin: On a new genus of insectivorous Mammalia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 6, 1838, pp. 17-19 ( [15] )
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Walter Poduschka: About an albino tenrek Echinops telfairi Martin, 1838 (Tenrecinae; Insectivora). Bonn Zoological Contributions 27, 1976, pp. 153-159
  2. ↑ a b Olga V. Zherebtsova: Morphofunctional interpretation of the quills stridulating in tenrecs (Lipotyphla, Tenrecidae). Russian Journal of Theriology 5 (1), 2006, pp. 1-11
  3. ^ A b c Steven M. Goodman, Paulina D. Jenkins and Mark Pidgeon: Lipotyphla (Tenrecidae and Soricidae) of the Réserve Naturelle Intégrale d'Andohahela, Madagascar. Fieldana Zoology 94, 1999, pp. 187-216
  4. ↑ a b Max Kollmann: Remaeques sur les genres Ericulus Geoffroy et Echinops Martin. Bulletin de la Societété zoologique de France 38, 1913, pp. 86–92 and 98–102 ( [1] )
  5. ^ A b William Charles Linnaeus Martin: On a new genus of insectivorous Mammalia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 6, 1838, pp. 17-19
  6. ↑ a b c d Konrad Herter: About the hedgehogs of Madagascar (Tenrecinae). Meeting reports of the Society of Friends of Natural Sciences in Berlin NF 2, 1962, pp. 5-37
  7. ↑ Nick Garbutt: Mammals of Madagascar. A complete guide. Yale University Press, 2007, pp. 1–304 (pp. 32–56)
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i J. F. Eisenberg and Edwin Gould: The Tenrecs: A Study in Mammalian Behavior and Evolution. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1970, pp. 1-138
  9. ^ A b Walter Poduschka: Hyperthelia, litter size and gestation duration in the subfamily Tenrecinae Cabrera, 1925 (Mammalia: Insectivora: Tenrecidae), together with remarks on the longitudinal striations of the genus Hemicentetes. Contributions to Zoology 66 (2), 1996, pp. 119-128
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g h Paulina D. Jenkins: Tenrecidae (Tenrecs and Shrew tenrecs). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 134-172 (p. 13) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
  11. ↑ a b c d e Oldfield Thomas: On the insectivorous genus Echinops, Martin, with notes oh the dentition of allied species. Proceedings of the. Zoological Society of London, 1892, pp. 500–505 ( [2] )
  12. ↑ a b Wilhelm Leche: On the history of the development of the mammalian tooth system, at the same time a contribution to the tribal history of this group of animals. Part two: phylogeny. Second booklet: Families of the Centetidae, Solenodontidae and Chrysochloridae. Zoologica 20, 1906/1908, pp. 1–157 ( [3] )
  13. ^ Walter Poduschka and Christl Poduschka: The taxonomic affiliation of Dasogale fontoynonti G. Grandidier, 1928. Meeting reports of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Mathematical and Natural Science Class, Department 1, 191, 1982, pp. 253-264
  14. ^ Justine A. Salton and Eric J. Sargis: Evolutionary morphology of the Tenrecoidea (Mammalia) carpal complex. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 93, 2008, pp. 267-288
  15. ^ Justine A. Salton and Eric J. Sargis: Evolutionary Morphology of the Tenrecoidea (Mammalia) Forelimb Skeleton. In: EJ Sargis and M. Dagosto (Eds.): Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology: A Tribute to Frederick S. Szalay, Springer Science, 2008, pp. 51-71
  16. ^ A b Justine A. Salton and Frederick S. Szalay: The Tarsal Complex of Afro-Malagasy Tenrecoidea: A Search for Phylogenetically Meaningful Characters. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 11 (2), 2004, pp. 73-104
  17. ↑ a b Voahangy Soarimalala: Les Afrosoricides de la forêt sèche malgache. Afrotherian Conservation 8, 2011, pp. 4-9
  18. ↑ JU Ganzhorn, S. Sommer, JP Abraham, M. Ade, BM Raharivololona, ​​ER Rakotovao, C. Rakotondrasoa and R. Randriamarosoa: Mammals of the Kirindy Forest with special emphasis on Hypogeomys antimena and the effects of logging on the small mammal fauna . Primate Report 46-1, 1996, pp. 215-232
  19. ↑ a b J. U. Ganzhorn, AW Ganzhorn, J.-P. Abraham, L. Andriamanarivo and A. Ramananjatovo: The impact of selective logging on forest structure and tenrec populations in western Madagascar. Oecologia 84, 1990, pp. 126-133
  20. ^ A b P. J. Stephenson, Voahangy Soarimalala and Steven M. Goodman: Echinops telfairi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. e.T40592A97188634 ( [4] ); last accessed on March 16, 2017
  21. ^ A b c d e Edwin Gould and John F. Eisenberg: Notes on the biology of the Tenrecidae. Journal of Mammalogy 47 (4), 1966, pp. 660-686
  22. ↑ a b c d e Gillian K. Godfrey and William LR Oliver: The reproduction and development of the Pigmy hedgehog tenrec Echinops telfairi. Dodo, Journal of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust 15, 1978, pp. 38-52
  23. ↑ a b c d e f Konrad Herter: Investigations on living hedgehogs (Tenrecinae), 2: About the behavior and way of life of the hedgehog telfairi Martin in captivity. Zoological Contributions 8, 1963, pp. 125-165
  24. ↑ a b c d René E. Honegger and W. Noth: Observations during the rearing of Igeltanreks Echinops telfairi Martin. Zoological Contributions 12 (2), 1964, pp. 191-218
  25. ↑ Peter Stumpf, Heinz Künzle and Ulrich Welsch: Cutaneous eccrine glands of the foot pads of the small Madagascan tenrec (Echinops telfairi, Insectivora, Tenrecidae): skin glands in a primitive mammal. Cell Tissue Research 315, 2004. pp. 59-70
  26. ^ Edwin Gould: Evidence for echolocation in the Tenrecidae of Madagascar. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 109 (6), 1965, pp. 352-360
  27. ↑ Markus Drexl, Michael Faulstich, Boris von Stebut, Susanne Radtke-Schuller and Manfred Kössl: Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions and Auditory Evoked Potentials in the Hedgehog Tenrec, Echinops telfairi. JARO 4, 2003, pp. 555-564
  28. ^ Peter J. Stephenson, Paul A. Racey, and Félix Rakotondraparany: Maintenance and reproduction of tenrecs (Tenrecidae) at Parc Tsimbazaza, Madagascar. International Zoo Yearbook 33, 1994, pp. 194-201
  29. ↑ E. Kulzer and G. Koche: The water balance of the small Igel-Tanrek (Echinops telfairi Martin, 1838). Zeitschrift für Mammaliankunde 41, 1976, pp. 65-76
  30. ↑ Konrad Herter: Investigations on living hedgehogs (Tenrecinae), 1: About temperature regulation and activity rhythm in the hedgehog animal Echinops telfairi Martin. Zoological Contributions 7, 1962, pp. 239-292
  31. ↑ Peter Scholl: Temperature regulation in the Madagascan hedgehog tanker Echinops telfairi (Martin, 1838). Journal of Comparative Physiology 89, 1974, pp. 175-195
  32. ↑ Barry G. Lovegrove and Fabien Génin: Torpor and hibernation in a basal placental mammal, the Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec Echinops telfairi. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 178, 2008, pp 691-698
  33. ↑ Kathrin H. Dausmann, Danielle L. Levesque, Jens Wein and Julia Nowack: Ambient Temperature Cycles Affect Daily Torpor and Hibernation Patterns in Malagasy Tenrecs. Frontiers in Physiology 11, 2020, p. 522, doi: 10.3389 / fphys.2020.00522
  34. ↑ Sally D. Poppitt, John R. Speakman and Paul A. Racey: Energetics of Reproduction in the Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec, Echinops telfairi (Martin). Physiological Zoology 67 (4), 1994, pp. 976-994
  35. ↑ Steven D. Thompson and Martin E. Nicoll: Basal metabolic rate of reproduction and energetics in therian mammals. Nature 321, 1986, pp. 690-693
  36. ↑ H. Künzle, C. Poulsen Nautrup and F. Schwarzenberger: High inter-individual variation in the gestation length of the hedgehog tenrec, Echinops telfairi (Afrotheria). Animal Reproduction Science 97, 2007, pp. 364-374
  37. ↑ Richard Weigl: Longevity of mammals in captivity; from the Living Collections of the world A list of mammalian longevity in captivity. Kleine Senckenberg series, Volume 48, 2005, pp. 1–214 (p. 34)
  38. ↑ Rodin M. Rasoloarison, Bernardin PN Rasolonandrasana, Jörg U. Ganzhorn and Steven M. Goodman: Predation on vertebrates in the Kirindy forest, Western Madagascar. Ecotropica 1, 1995, pp. 59-65
  39. ↑ Clare E. Hawkins and Paul A. Racey: Food habits of an endangered carnivore, Cryptoprocta ferox in the dry deciduous forests of Western Madagascar. Journal of Mammalogy 89 (1), 2008, pp. 64-74
  40. ↑ Idalia A. Rodriguez, Emilienne Rasoazanabary and Laurie R. Godfrey: Multiple ectoparasites infest Microcebus griseorufus at Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, Madagascar. Madagascar Conservation & Development 7 (1) 2012, pp. 45-48
  41. ↑ F. Hörchner: To the helminth fauna of the hedgehog tankard (Echinops telfairi Martin). Zeitschrift für Parasitenkunde 22, 1962, pp. 176-182
  42. ↑ Elise EB LaDouceur, Brian G. Murphy, Michael M. Garner and Andrew N. Cartoceti: Osteomalacia With Hyperostosis in Captive Lesser Hedgehog Tenrecs (Echinops telfairi). Veterinary Pathology, 2020, doi: 10.1177 / 0300985820943536
  43. ↑ a b c Kathryn M. Everson, Voahangy Soarimalala, Steven M. Goodman and Link E. Olson: Multiple loci and complete taxonomic sampling resolve the phylogeny and biogeographic history of tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and reveal higher speciation rates in Madagascar's humid forests . Systematic Biology 65 (5), 2016, pp. 890-909 doi: 10.1093 / sysbio / syw034
  44. ↑ Link E. Olson and Steven M. Goodman: Phylogeny and biogeography of tenrecs. In: Steven M. Goodman and Jonathan P. Benstead (Eds.): The natural history of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, 2003, pp. 1235-1242
  45. ^ Matjaž Kuntner, Laura J. May-Collado and Ingi Agnarsson: Phylogeny and conservation priorities of afrotherian mammals (Afrotheria, Mammalia). Zoologica Scripta 40 (1), 2011, pp. 1-15
  46. ^ William Charles Linnaeus Martin: On a new genus of insectivorous Mammalia. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 2, 1841, pp. 249-256 ( [5] )
  47. ^ Alfred Grandidier: Description de quelques animaux nouveaux découverts, pendant l'année 1869 sur la còte ouest de Madagascar. Revue et Magasin Zoologie Pure et Appliquée 21, 1869, pp. 337–342 ( [6] )
  48. ^ A b Gabriel Petit: Insectivora. In: A. Gruvel (Ed.): Faune des colonies Françaises. Tome Quatriène Paris, 1931, pp. 570–575 ( [7] )
  49. ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder: Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005 ( [8] )
  50. ^ Johann Andreas Wagner: The mammals in illustrations after nature, with descriptions. Supplementary Volume Second Section. Erlangen, 1841, pp. 1–558 (pp. 29–30) ( [9] )
  51. ^ Wilhelm Peters: Communication on the Classification of the Insectivora. Monthly reports of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, 1865, p. 286 ( [10] )
  52. ^ Fredericus Anna Jentink: On the hedgehogs from Madagascar. Notes from the Royal Zoological Museum at Leyden 1879, pp. 137–151 ( [11] )
  53. ↑ George Edward Dobson: A Monograph of the Insectivora, systematic and anatomical. Part I. London, 1883, p. 71 ( [12] )
  54. ^ P. Mathias and P. Rode: Contribution à l'étude des insectivores. 1. Les insectivores à piquants. Bulletin de la Societété zoologique de France 55, 1930, pp. 429–437 ( [13] )
  55. ^ Henri Heim de Balsac: Insectivores. In: R. Battistini and G. Richard-Vindard (eds.): Biogeography and ecology in Madagascar. The Hague, 1972, pp. 629-660
  56. ^ A b Kathleen M. Muldoon, Donald D. de Blieux, Elwyn L. Simons, and Prithijit S. Chatrath: The Subfossil Occurrence and Paleoecological Significance of Small Mammals at Ankilitelo Cave, Southwestern Madagascar. Journal of Mammalogy 90 (5), 2009, pp. 1111-1131
  57. ^ A b D. A. Burney, N. Vasey, LR Godfrey, Ramilisonina, WL Jungers, M. Ramarolahy and L. Raharivony: New Findings at Andrahomana Cave, Southeastern Madagascar. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 70 (1), 2008, pp. 13-24
  58. ↑ Steven M. Goodman and William L. Jungers: Extinct Madagascar. Picturing the island's past. University of Chicago Press, 2014, pp. 1–206 (pp. 65–73 and 94–101)
  59. ↑ Zoo animal list ( [14] ), last accessed on March 21, 2017

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Commons : Kleiner Igeltenrek ( Echinops telfairi )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files