Greater hedgehog tenrec
Large Hedgehog Tenrec Drawing by Johann Christian Daniel Schreber
The Greater Hedgehog Tenrec ( Setifer setosus ) is a mammal of the family of tenrecs ( Tenrecidae ). It is similar to the pointed snout to the European hedgehog, but is not closely related with this. It inhabits dry forests in the northern and eastern Madagascar.
Description
The back of the Great Igeltenreks from the forehead to the tail, and the flanks are covered with dense spines, which are colored maroon and end in white lace. The muzzle, legs and belly are covered with soft hair. The long snout is provided with whiskers, the eyes are very small. These animals can reach a body length 15-22 inches, the short stubby tail is only about 1.5 inches long. Your weight is estimated at 180 to 270 grams.
Way of life
Large Igeltenreks are nocturnal animals that spend the day in self-dug burrows, padded with leaves burrows. In the event of an attack he can, similar to the European hedgehog, rolls into a spiny ball and protect the soft belly. Otherwise, the animals rather slowly move away, while walking she put only the toes on. Although you can climb, but also help their movements are very sedate. In the cooler regions of their range, the animals fall during the winter months for most of the day in a winter rest and take limited food. The animals are considered loners.
The food of the Great Igeltenreks consists of insects, worms and carrion, and occasionally from small vertebrates. There are observations of how these animals rummaging through rubbish heaps in search of food.
Mating takes place in spring ( September-October ). The gestation period is weather dependent and, in warmer weather it lasts shorter than in colder, and between 50 and 70 days. Female animals have five pairs of teats, the litter size is three to five newborns. The highest age of an animal in captivity was almost eleven years.
Threat
Large Igeltenreks apply to a certain degree synanthropic. Keep on also in fields and near human settlements, where they search for food. The species is not considered threatened.