Lowland streaked tenrec facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lowland streaked tenrec |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Hemicentetes
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| Species: |
semispinosus
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| Lowland streaked tenrec range | |
The lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) is a small, spiny mammal. It lives only on the island of Madagascar. This unique animal is part of the Tenrecidae family. It prefers to live in warm, wet lowland rainforests. You can find them in the northern and eastern parts of Madagascar. This tenrec is a close relative of the highland streaked tenrec.
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Where Lowland Streaked Tenrecs Live
These tenrecs live on the island of Madagascar. They are found in its rainforests. You can see them on land, in shallow water, or digging underground. Tenrecs often build their own burrows. They hide their nests under leaves near water sources.
What Lowland Streaked Tenrecs Look Like
Physical Appearance
An average lowland streaked tenrec is about 140 mm (5.5 inches) long. Some adults can grow up to 172 mm (6.8 inches). Their weight can be from 125 to 280 grams (4.4 to 9.9 ounces). This tenrec has black spines covering its body. It also has yellow or brown stripes. One yellow stripe runs down its nose. There is one stripe on its back and two on its sides. These stripes might warn predators to stay away.
The tenrec has quills, which are like stiff hairs. They are longer and more numerous on its head and neck. Its belly has few or no quills. These quills can detach if a predator attacks. This helps the tenrec escape.
Unique Features
Lowland streaked tenrecs have special sensory hairs. These hairs are on their back and are like whiskers. They help the tenrec feel its surroundings. This animal is also good at digging. It has strong arm muscles for digging. Its hands are long, and its second, third, and fourth fingers are adapted for digging.
The tenrec's skull is long and low in the middle. Its teeth are small and spaced out. They are placed farther forward in its mouth. This design helps it find and eat its food.
These tenrecs can also change their body temperature. This ability depends on their habitat and the weather.
Threats to Their Population
The biggest threat to these tenrecs is habitat loss. Forests in Madagascar are being cut down. This affects many animals, including the tenrec. People also hunt these tenrecs for food.
Lowland Streaked Tenrec Behavior
When a female tenrec is about to have babies, she prepares her burrow. She uses her nose to clear a spot in the ground. Streaked tenrecs can raise their quills to scare off predators. If they have to fight, they might headbutt their opponent. This can help them stop the threat.
Diet and Foraging
The lowland streaked tenrec is active both day and night. Its main food is earthworms. But it also eats other small invertebrates. It might stomp its front feet on the ground. This action is thought to make earthworms move more. This makes them easier to find. Most tenrecs have a long snout. They use it to poke around in the ground for food. They can also eat fruit. Eating earthworms can cause scratches on their teeth from the dirt.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Breeding usually happens from October to December. It can also happen at other times. This depends on how much food is available and the temperature. A female is pregnant for about 58 days. She usually gives birth to 5 to 8 young. The young tenrecs stop drinking milk at 18 to 25 days old. They can have their own babies when they are about 35 days old. This means they can reproduce in the same season they were born.
Shelter and Family Life
Streaked tenrecs live in long, shallow burrows. These burrows are usually home to family groups.
Spines as Tools for Communication
H. semispinosus has hard, spiny quills on its back. These quills can make sounds. Scientists think they use these sounds to talk to their young. They might also use them to warn predators. When the tenrec moves, the tips of the quills rub together. This creates a high-pitched sound. These quills are in a small area on the middle of their back. There are usually 7 to 16 quills in three rows. Five quills run on each side. They are light brown. The number and arrangement of quills do not change as the tenrec grows. Only the thickness of the quills changes.
When a tenrec feels threatened, it raises its quills. They point sideways and forward. This makes the quills vibrate and produce sound. The tenrec has a very good sense of smell. It also stamps its feet when it smells a predator. This display also happens when males fight over females. It also occurs when unfamiliar males meet. Females, however, usually touch each other and then move apart. The tenrec uses its quills to communicate in two ways. It raises them when it is upset. It also rubs them together, which is called stridulation. This is like the sound crickets make. The sound they make is too high for humans to hear.
Sound Production
The streaked tenrec is the only known mammal to use stridulation for sound. This method is more common in insects and snakes. We don't know much about how the tenrec's body makes this sound. The sounding quills are different from its other spines and hair. They are found in the middle of the tenrec's back. Their arrangement and length stay the same throughout the tenrec's life. They form three rows in the midline area.
Muscles under the quills help them vibrate. These muscles are called quill vibrator discs. For an adult, they are about 16.8 mm long and 8.55 mm wide. These muscles help the quills vibrate. This creates sound for communication.
Lowland Streaked Tenrec Physiology
The streaked tenrec can enter a state called torpor. This is like a deep sleep. It helps them save energy. This usually happens during June and July, in the winter. How long they stay in torpor depends on things like altitude and temperature. However, H. semispinosus can wake up from torpor in winter. They will come out to find food. When they look for food, they poke the soil and leaf litter with their nose. They do this until they find prey. Their long hands and special fingers (digits 2, 3, and 4) help them dig. This allows them to dig up and pull prey from the ground.
Their skull has a long snout and a thin jaw. Their teeth are small and spaced out. They are placed farther forward in the mouth. This species has a total of 40 teeth.
