TenrecTenrec ecaudatus

Habitat and ecology

The tailless tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus) or common tenrec is a species native to Madagascar. The species was reportedly introduced to Mauritius around the end of the 17^th century, and also introduced to other Indian Ocean islands namely Comoros, Reunion and Seychelles.

The tenrec can be found in a diversity of subtropical and tropical habitats ranging from dry forest, moist lowland forest or moist montane forest, savanna, dry or moist scrubland, cultivated areas, rural gardens and urban areas.  Its diet consists mainly of small invertebrates and occasionally mice and frogs as well as some vegetation and fruit. They use their snout to probe fissures in rocks and logs and detect prey with their whiskers, capturing and killing prey with their mouth.

Being solitary animals, males and females usually come into contact only very briefly prior to mating. Nests made of grass and leaves can be found under logs, rocks or bushes. After a gestation period of 50 to 60 days, females give birth to a litter of 15 to 20 individuals. The young will start foraging with their mother at around three weeks and carry nest materials in their mouth. Juvenile tenrecs have black and white stripes on their backs, which they will shed after approximately 36 days.

Conservation and threats

The species is common in its native and introduced range and is listed as “Least Concern” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.