Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Nature 1 Minute

The lowland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) is a small mammal within the Tenrecidae family and are only found in tropical lowland rain forest in the eastern parts of Madagascar.

Tenrecs are odd-looking creatures that look like a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog having a bad hair day, don’t you think?

The lowland streaked tenrec has a long snout and limbs, and a vestigial tail. The hair, or fur, is black with yellow stripes that run down the side of the body, and a yellowish band running from the crown to the tip of the snout.

It has a messy assemblage of quills which are barbed and detachable.

The head and body are 4.8 to 6.5 inches in length. The weight is about 7 ounces.The streaked tenrec is active during day and night, feeding primarily upon earthworms, but also on insects.During the winter (May to October), tenrecs can drop their body temperature to nearly that of the surroundings to conserve energy, but in the coldest weather, they must hibernate.Their breeding season is from October to December, although, depending upon local food supply and temperature, they may also mate at other times of the year.The gestation period lasts 58 days. The average size of a litter is 6 young. The young are weaned at 18 to 25 days.Females are reproductively active at a young age, sometimes breeding at just five weeks!

The lowland streaked tenrec lives in long, shallow burrows, usually in family groups of about 20 individuals.

The streaked tenrec communicates with other by a method known as stridulation, the act of producing sound by rubbing together certain body parts. In this case, the body parts are specialized quills on the middle of their backs which they vibrate to create a low-pitched noise. The lowland streaked tenrec is the only known mammal to have the ability to do this. It is a method more commonly associated with insects and snakes.

If threatened by a predator, a streaked tenrec will raise the barbed quills on its back and around its neck and buck the head violently to attempt to drive the quills into the attacker’s nose or paws.

Source: Animal Bliss

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Published by pat frederick

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222 thoughts on “Lowland Streaked Tenrec”

  2. OK, I want to run an idea by you, Pat….still deciding where to put the white Clematis….I have this wood and metal glider that Marilyn gave me – similar to the pic below except the wood isn’t painted. It’s under the willow tree (which I keep trimmed) and I have the swing tied down with bungees because of the wind, with a cement block on the bottom bar to keep the whole thing from blowing over. It’s only out there for show – no one ever sits on it….I’m thinking of planting the Clematis on one end and letting it climb all over the glider. Wouldn’t that be cool?!?

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      1. I think so, too! I think the Moss Roses in the pink tub are ending their lifespan – pretty positive the ones in the pots on the west are done for. I can plant it at the end where it will get the most of the afternoon sun, but shade during the hot morning hours.

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  3. LOOK AT THIS…see if some dude is right…a third party? LOL

    Johnny
    Johnny
    May 27, 2023 3:18 pm

    I read Sundance twitter feed every day. Get good info there very early.

    Sundance is saying Watch for the new Party. Plus he is saying you heard it from him first.

    All I can say is Hot Damn, GOP is about to get burned to the ground. President Trump is about to nuke the establishment.

    President Trump is a true warrior and leader

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Um, excuse me? Utah is NOT the “midwest,” thank you very much! And in the real midwest, something like this stupidity would only happen in Omaha or Lincoln, maybe No. Platte….the biggest cities.

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  10. Tweet
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    Benny Johnson
    @bennyjohnson
    Joe Biden lied and claimed he had nothing to do with the Mar-A-Lago raid- but now we now the truth: he ordered the raid.

    Trump is now expected to be indicted for the scandal.

    Once you put the pieces of the puzzle together, it’s pretty clear— Joe Biden is abusing his power as President to sabotage his political opponent.

    It’s the definition of election interference. And it’s corrupt as hell.

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  11. OK – had almost a dozen eggs that were expired so I cracked them open and put the innards in the grease can to go into the trash, washed them, peeled the inner lining out, let them air-dry, and crushed them in my coffee grinder; poured it all into the open feeder and hung it up by the eaves, where I saw the Barn Swallows. We’ll see what happens. Oh, and I’ve got a new woodpecker now – a Ladder-Back Woodpecker.

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  13. I would replace the pink tub with the clematis….this is also where I was thinking about planting something for ground cover, then decided to just let the wild violets do it instead. I’ve quit pulling them now and they should eventually fill that space.

    The tree really needs to be pruned – the longest branches are brushing the electrical wires now…I expect to hear from the city about it – let them trim it! LOL

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      1. It’s peaceful underneath and I have occasionally taken a rest there during marathon yard-work sessions. I had dreams originally of sitting out there with friends, having a drink in the evening, watching the sunset…..so much for that idea!

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    1. Well, we all knew Elon was a “world citizen.” How could he have the best interests of US citizens first and foremost in his mind? He didn’t get to be the 2nd richest man in the world by conducting his business from a sentimental frame of mind.

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    2. Since I never was a Twitter user, I didn’t really understand why everyone was so excited to get back on it….yes, it was easy and people were used to it but still…..I never really “got” why everyone who supports Trump didn’t flee wholesale to HIS social media, TruthSocial.

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  16. Oh, my! Know where this is, Pat? From ABC/News 7:

    “WEST ROCKHILL TWP., Pennsylvania — Two parents in Bucks County, Pennsylvania have been charged with multiple felonies after their seven children were found living in deplorable conditions. 47-year-old Shane Robertson and 37-year-old Crystal Robertson, of West Rockhill Township, are charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of children.

    The children involved range in age from 16 to just four years old. The investigation began with a report of children entering an abandoned trailer on April 23 in the Green Top Trailer Park, the Pennridge Regional Police Department said in a news release Thursday. Police found a 12-year-old girl, who told officers she was taking a blanket to keep her rats warm because her family does not have much money left.

    While they were talking, a 14-year-old girl appeared from behind the property. Police say neither girl was properly dressed, stating the 14-year-old had clothes on that appeared dirty. When officers brought the children to their parents, who live in the trailer next door, police say they found ‘deplorable’ living conditions and a refrigerator secured with a padlock.

    According to the affidavit, Crystal Robertson told police the lock was there because the children were “stealing” food and called the children “garbage disposals with legs.” Police later returned with an investigator from Bucks County Children and Youth and found four more children hidden in a rear bedroom. Officers say they found feces in several places in the home, and some of the walls and floors were in disrepair. Some two dozen rats were found in cages. Multiple other animals, including dogs and snakes, were also found.

    The living conditions were found to be “unsanitary and essentially unsafe,” police said, and the children were taken into protective custody. A medical evaluation of the children at a hospital found most of them were malnourished, police said, and some of the children had low kidney function. Two of the children had to have their heads shaved due to severe matting, and one of those children was found to have maggots in her hair. Two of the children needed to have “extensive” dental treatment, police said, and some of the children needed eyeglasses.

    During the investigation, police say it was found that none of the seven children had attended school and lacked basic knowledge. Several of them didn’t know their birthday. The children exhibited social anxiety, police say, and they allegedly told officials they didn’t like to be in public or around other people. The Robertsons are free after posting 10% of $100,000 bail.”

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  18. sad note from my son in law today.
    he said they stopped planting already–it’s too dry. no rain again for too long.
    and they live in gorgeous farm country

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  19. EXCERPT: “Ten lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America’s shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.

    The aim of the program run by the General Services Administration is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old.

    The development of modern technology, including GPS, means lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation, said John Kelly of the GSA’s office of real property disposition. And while the Coast Guard often maintains aids to navigation at or near lighthouses, the structures themselves are often no longer mission critical.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/26/us-free-lighthouses-gps

    Liked by 1 person

  24. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

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