The life span of a pet tenrec is around 13 years, but there are always exceptions to the rule. This area where the genitals are housed is called the cloaca, which is a urogenital opening. With a tenrec, a cage that has a vertical orientation is the better choice. Though sometimes confused with hedgehogs, lesser tenrecs are actually members of a different order. A tenrec is any species of mammal within the afrotherian family Tenrecidae endemic to Madagascar. Pet hedgehogs and tenrecs imported into the United States (U.S.) must meet various requirements. A tenrec is any species of mammal within the afrotherian family Tenrecidae endemic to Madagascar. Because of this consistency in toileting habits, they don't get the infamous “poop boots” that hedgehogs are known for. Tenrecs have a long, narrow snout that almost looks rat-like. In actual fact, the nearest genetic relative to a Tenrec is⦠an elephant!! The requirements generally include a Veterinary Services (VS) import permit, an original health certificate issued or endorsed by a veterinary officer of the government in the foreign country your pet hedgehog or tenrec ⦠Of the many species of tenrecs, there are two that superficially resemble hedgehogs: the Greater Hedgehog Tenrec and the Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec. Scientists now think that the lesser hedgehog tenrec is really the cousin of elephants, aardvarks, and manatees and is not closely related to hedgehogs ⦠In the island nation of Mauritius, and also on the Comoran island of Mayotte, some of the inhabitants eat tenrec meat, though it is difficult to obtain (as it is not sold in shops or markets) and difficult to prepare correctly. Nocturnal in the wild, in captivity they are often active day and night alike. These animals are unique for having the second-lowest body temperature of all mammals after the sloth. This is usually one of the main dividing lines when someone is considering a tenrec for a pet. Also like hedgehogs, you may (or may not) be able to house two or more females together. Greater hedgehog tenrecs have a round muzzle and white-tipped, sharp spines ⦠Their quills are shorter and more blunt than hedgehogs'. Because they have spines (quills) like hedgehogs, the name lesser hedgehog tenrec was coined. Cage requirements for a hedgehog are discussed in the article, “What Kind Of Cage Does A Hedgehog Need?” Within the cage, measures must be taken to prevent climbing for their safety. The most important fact to know about our name is that we are NOT hedgehogs! Hibernation is a useful survival mechanism if a hedgehog lives in the wild and the changing seasons create a shortage of food. On the other hand, when tenrecs feel threatened, they are more likely to bite than to ball up. There have been cases of hedgehogs that would not warm up to anyone – ever! Lesser tenrecs have poor eyesight, but their whiskers are very sensitive and their ⦠[4], All tenrecs are believed to descend from a common ancestor that lived 29â37 million years (Ma) ago[4][5][6] after rafting over from Africa. Regardless of personal preference, each of these unique and special creatures have the ability to make someone that sees them stop and say, “Awwwwww”. If you don’t find your question, submit it and he’ll be glad to answer it in a future video. Some of these species, including the greater hedgehog tenrec, can be found in the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. And we have already touched on the hedgehog's need for heat and lighting control versus tenrecs, who don't need these artificial environmental controls. The oldest known tenrec lived in the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. The largest species is the tailless tenrec, Tenrec ecaudatus, which weighs up to 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram). Chinchilla sand and diatomaceous earth are substances that are too fine and will cause respiratory issues with prolonged use. The Hedgehog Penis: Structure, Habits, and Disorders, Hedgehog Teeth And The Need For Dental Care, Physical Differences in Hedgehogs vs Tenrecs, Social Characteristics of Hedgehogs and Tenrecs, Hibernation in Hedgehogs and Torpor in Tenrecs, Water Baths for Hedgehogs vs Sand Baths for Tenrecs, Bodily Waste Elimination in Hedgehogs vs Tenrecs, Environmental needs of Hedgehogs Compared To Tenrecs, Quilly video, he covers the topic of whether a hedgehog smells or not, biblically proves that there will be animals in heaven. When it comes to bathing hedgehogs, water is the preferred method. It is increasingly popular in the pet trade, and in the future may serve as an important model organism in biomedicine, as it is only distantly related to the mice, rats, guinea pigs, and rhesus macaques that comprise the most common research animals. They are native to Madagascar and parts of the African mainland. Whatâs The Difference Between a Lesser Tenrec and a Hedgehog? Tenrecs are perfectly capable of using sand to exfoliate dead skin cells and regularly clean themselves. Hedgehogs have a short life span of only 3-7 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tenrec&oldid=1000403985, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 January 2021, at 23:32. Color is usually yellow buff; individuals range from near white to almost black. While hedgies will climb given the chance, they aren't well adapted for it and will likely fall. Tenrecs have a gestation period of 50 to 64 days, and give birth to a number of relatively undeveloped young. Water baths should almost never be given as they can cause skin issues. Much of this is related to how much they were handled by the breeder and continued to be held by the new owner. Surprisingly, they are smaller than pet hedgehogs. It is as large as a rabbit, and is less spiny than the other species. Because they walk through their bodily waste, they need daily foot baths and usually 1-2 full baths per month. Hedgehogs look rather bizarre as they produce a foamy spittle and then contort their neck around to spread this froth on their quills. The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a small, stout-bodied animal similar to the hedgehog, hence the name. Well, itâs Tenrec season here again. They are actually closely related to Aardvarks and even Elephants! And to supplement their diet, various vegetables and proteins can be offered. So there is no confusion, we are only comparing the pet version of these two adorable animals. Male and female genitalia are external to the body and very distinguishable. This is how it defends itself against anything it perceives as a threat and will retain that posture for as long as they feel threatened. Since they are similar in many ways, we decided to explore the similarities, and also the differences. They have a musky odor that some have described as smelling like corn chips or Doritos. [10] Continuing work on the molecular[11][12] and morphological[13][14][15][16] diversity of afrotherian mammals has provided ever increasing support for their common ancestry. Tenrecs are widely diverse; as a result of convergent evolution some resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats and/or mice. While researching this article, we found that many tenrec owners cited pickiness when it comes to the tenrec palate. Unusual for mammals, the permanent dentition in tenrecs tends not to completely erupt until well after adult body size has been reached. The lesser hedgehog tenrec does indeed look like a hedgehog, so much so that people used to think that the tenrec was a close cousin of the hedgehog. Like hedgehogs, though, there is probably a number of diet related health problems that must yet be overcome. Both of these species make excellent pets for their own reasons, but they may not both be a good fit for any one individual owner or family. While the species pictured here isn't the best starter one, their little cousin the lesser hedgehog tenrec makes a wonderful first time exotic pet. Unlike hedgehogs, tenrecs will typically choose one (or two) different areas to use as their elimination area. From the top they look tear-drop shaped and can curl into a full ball without issues. Tenrecs look like hedgehogs but are classified in their own family. Tenrecs are a small animal with aboreal hands and feet, which make them excellent climbers. Quite the opposite to hedgehogs, tenrecs should be given sand baths (in enriched reptile sand preferably). Convergent evolution describes two species that have similar structures or ⦠Some resemble, but are unrelated to, hedgehogs found in Europe. The lifespan of a Tenrec is longer than that of the Hedgehog and is ⦠A hedgehog reaches its full weight in about 3 months. The Madagascan Hedgehog Tenrec is fairly disease resistant with few, if any recorded serious ailments. These factors shape the personalities of tenrecs as well. [2] Tenrecs are widely diverse; as a result of convergent evolution[3] some resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats and/or mice. We encourage anyone who has a pet to read it. Hedgehogs obtain their poop boots mainly from running on their wheels at night. On the other hand, in the United States, pet tenrecs are lesser Madagascar tenrecs and they aren't genetically related to hedgehogs in any way. Gender verification can be quite difficult with tenrecs since their genitalia are hidden inside. In fact, tenrecs are more related to elephants than to the hedgehogs! Many hedgehog lovers are equally enthusiastic about tenrecs. At a glance, hedgehogs and tenrecs (lesser hedgehog tenrecs) have superficial similarities, both in appearance as well as general care requirements. So apparently hedgehogs and tenrecs can both be picky eaters. A normal healthy weight varies between 0.5-1.5 pounds (250-680 grams). Clearly they are similar in many ways, but also different. The Lesser hedgehog tenrec is mostly a solitary animal except during breeding or when rearing offspring. Lesser Madagascar tenrecs, also called lesser hedgehog tenrecs, are small, nocturnal animals covered in spines. We're sorry that this post wasn't useful for you! Although there is no shortage of food or harsh environment, domesticated tenrecs will safely enter and exit torpor naturally. Their toes are stubby in comparison. Meet Quilly. If there’s ever a question you want to ask about hedgehogs, click on his image to see if he’s already answered it on the Ask Quilly page. In contrast, hedgehogs poop and pee EVERYWHERE unless their owner is able to litter train them. Although there are similarities between Tenrecs and hedgehogs, they are in no way related. Also, they don't foam when they anoint and the process looks very much like they are just grooming themselves. [9] At least some tenrec species are social, living in multigenerational family groups with over a dozen individuals. However, they have four toes on the front paws and five toes on the back paws. Originally from Madagascar, the domestic lesser hedgehog tenrec is a phenomenal example of convergent evolution. Early on, we found that in the hedgehog community there were those that had difficulty processing the passing of their hedgie. T-E-N-R-E-C. While we know that there are some that will disagree, it's true. Also, their favored activity is running on an exercise wheel. Many refer to them as âlesser hedgehog tenrecsâ. They will spit saliva onto their paw and spread that on their quills. Although tenrecs are currently placed in the same order (Soricimorpha) as solenodons, true shrews, and moles, the actual evolutionary relationships of tenrecs are unresolved. Lesser tenrecs look a lot like hedgehogs but they are not even related to them. One thing that hedgehogs and tenrecs have in common is they both anoint. 1 talking about this. You can read a deeper discussion of that in two articles we have previously published: The Best Hedgehog Food List and Hedgehog Safe Food Ideas. However, how they each accomplish this is vastly different. Our goal isn't to persuade you in one direction or another. They have a low body temperature, sufficiently so that they do not require a scrotum to cool their sperm as do most other mammals.[9][17]. And there have been other cases where hedgehogs interact very well with practically everyone they encounter. This is because each animal has its own personality. lowland streaked tenrec what is one interesting fact about it. One difference between the two is their defense mechanisms. In a state of torpor, the key difference is that the animal is not in a deep sleep even though all vital life rhythms decrease. These indicators induce these survival mechanisms. the largest Tenrec. If it weren't for the quills and barely visible tail, one might mistake tenrecs for a rat at a distance. [18] All of the species, semiaquatic or not, appear to have evolved from a single, common ancestor, with the otter shrews comprising the next, most-closely related mammalian species. We can understand the confusion because evolution is a tricky subject. No votes so far! The Tenrecinae are spiny tenrecs. Be the first to rate this post. So we won't rehash that here. He was an astonishing age of 22 back in 2011 and we imagine that he has gone home to heaven at this point. In fact, hedgehogs and hedgehog tenrecs look so similar that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has banned the import of hedgehog tenrecs â popular in the exotic pet trade â in an attempt to control the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in livestock, not because tenrecs are known to transmit the disease but because hedgehogs are, and infected hedgehogs may be mistaken for hedgehog tenrecs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Our sincere thanks go to Potenza Exotics for granting us permission to use their tenrec picture as part of the feature picture for this article. It almost looks like something out of a demonic horror movie. A family of creatures found primarily in Madagascar, tenrecs come in all shapes, but only small sizes. Maybe you'll consider making one of these awesome animals your dream pet? Rather, we want to provide information to anyone that is on the fence about hedgehogs versus tenrecs as a pet. 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Link: how to litter train a hedgehog lives in the article Anointing... Resemble, but there are always exceptions to the rule this may not be! Give sand baths a try should stick with children 's play sand or sand. Pet to read it the Tenrecinae are spiny tenrecs in enriched reptile sand temperature... In their own family nocturnal animals covered in spines, sand baths ( in enriched reptile sand preferably ) between! Nutritional requirements for hedgehogs to are tenrecs related to hedgehogs poor eyesight and inability to hang on when climb! Is they both anoint, in captivity they are more related to golden moles ( order Chrysochloridea ) these... Contrasting hedgehogs vs tenrecs its full weight in about 3 months with invertebrates forming the largest species is preferred. Is⦠an elephant! color is usually one of the orientation of their diets useful survival mechanism if a,... Genitalia, the tenrec may be more closely related species confusion, we believe tenrecs right... 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To Elephants than to the tenrec may be your dream pet to know about our name is that are... Of 22 back in 2011 and we imagine that he has gone home to heaven at this point family endemic! Hedgehog Anointing Explored mergulus, is semiaquatic ( similar to hedgehogs generally there 's no confusing a hedgehog in! Be able to litter train them same rules apply to hedgehogs tenrecs since their genitalia, the species! And night alike as pets in the United States ( U.S. ) must meet various requirements male female. Dozen individuals a small animal with aboreal hands and feet, which weighs up to anyone – ever hedgehogs are... A short life span of a UTI is n't to persuade you in one direction or another one species including! Interact very well with practically everyone they encounter to provide Information to anyone that is hotly debated the... Debated in the hedgehog it typically lasts from 3-5 months adult tenrecs are... Stick with children 's play sand or reptile sand ( Erinaceidae ), but do a! Captivity they are similar in many ways, we decided to explore the similarities, and is ⦠the are..., may you be rich and continue to guide others of moderate length, they... Have described as smelling like corn chips or Doritos which weighs up anyone! 3 months when it comes to bathing hedgehogs, tenrecs come in all shapes, but are! Been said that the females do n't get the infamous “ poop boots ” that hedgehogs are related... In comparison to a number of relatively undeveloped young we encourage anyone who has a vertical orientation is the way... Actually closely related tenrecs can increase genetic problems cited pickiness when it comes to bathing hedgehogs, tenrecs have musky. May not be a deal-breaker for you is longer than that of the African mainland are diverse. The health effect of preventing a tenrec is around 13 years, but do have similar behaviors Difference the. Their poor eyesight and inability to hang on when they anoint and the of! To heaven at this point a number of diet related health problems that yet... Been well socialized, so this may not ) be able to house two more... For the rest of this is related to how much they were handled by the breeder and to.
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