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972 Featured Specimen
Tailless tenrec

Details

Tailless tenrec

Tenrec ecaudatus

Size
26–39 cm · 1.5–2.5 kg
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan

Tailless tenrec is a mammal associated with forests and grasslands. It is omnivorous and usually solitary. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Its range is represented here by the Afrotropics, where it uses forests and grasslands. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.

Appearance

Typical length 26-39 cm, weight 1.5 kg-2.5 kg. It has a small agile rodent-like build, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.

Behavior

It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.

Feeding

It is omnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in forests and grasslands, so movements often follow available food resources.

Reproduction

As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.

Notes

Recorded scientifically as Tenrec ecaudatus. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.