Tailless Tenrec

Fascinating facts about the Tailless Tenrec

• The tailless tenrec staying motionless for up to nine months without waking. This marathon hibernation was the first recorded for any tropical mammal and occurs during Madagascar's dry autumn months of May through September, when food becomes scarce.
• The tailless tenrec's genome stretches over 2.54 gigabases and is organized into 38 chromosomes, with 22,573 protein-coding genes predicted. The assembly is 96.5% complete by BUSCO standards, giving researchers a near-complete genetic blueprint of this unusual mammal.
• Measuring 26 to 39 cm (10 to 15 in) long and weighing up to 2 kg (4.4 lb), the tailless tenrec is the heavyweight champion of its family, rivaling a small dog in bulk. Even its tiny tail reaches only 1.0 to 1.5 cm (0.39 to 0.59 in). fend off predators with its spiny coat, and travel up to two hectares each night.
• Each night a tenrec may roam 0.5 to 2 hectares in search of food, but a receptive female limits her range to just 200 m², likely to increase chances of meeting a male. Their burrows reflect lifestyle: active burrows have a Y-shaped opening for quick exits, while hibernating tunnels are 1-2 m long and sealed with soil. These spatial strategies protect them from extreme temperatures.
• A single female tenrec can give birth to as many as 32 babies after a gestation of just 50-60 days, with average litters ranging between 15 and 20. Those newborns emerge striped in black and white. It remains common across Madagascar.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia
• Animal Diversity Web

At a glance

About the Tailless Tenrec

In the lush undergrowth of Madagascar's forests, the tailless tenrec embarks on a perpetual quest for sustenance, its long, pointed snout twitching with each subtle vibration in the earth. With a mesmerizing gait, it moves with purpose, its powerful front legs propelling it forward as it roots out invertebrates and insects with an unrelenting fervor. As it navigates this complex world, the tenrec's unique, quasi-primitive appearance belies a remarkable adaptability, one that has allowed it to thrive in this enchanting, yet unforgiving, island ecosystem.

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