| rdfs:comment
| - Tenrecs are small, insectivorous mammals once thought allied with the insectivores, and now on the basis of genetic studies, with the hodge-podge of certain placental mammals simply called 'afrotheres'. Other afrotheres from HE include the hyraxes, the aardvark, the elephant-shrews, the proboscideans, the sea cows, and the golden moles. Tenrecs, dating back to the Eocene, are certainly odd mammals, in any case, lacking jugal (cheek) bones and unable to maintain a constant body temperature. The greatest tenrecid diversity is to be found in Africa and Madagascar, but several species dwell in south-western Eurasia, while their fossil record shows even greater distribution during the Pliocene. Tenrecids from both worlds show a broad range of habits and adaptations, given their role as generall
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| abstract
| - Tenrecs are small, insectivorous mammals once thought allied with the insectivores, and now on the basis of genetic studies, with the hodge-podge of certain placental mammals simply called 'afrotheres'. Other afrotheres from HE include the hyraxes, the aardvark, the elephant-shrews, the proboscideans, the sea cows, and the golden moles. Tenrecs, dating back to the Eocene, are certainly odd mammals, in any case, lacking jugal (cheek) bones and unable to maintain a constant body temperature. The greatest tenrecid diversity is to be found in Africa and Madagascar, but several species dwell in south-western Eurasia, while their fossil record shows even greater distribution during the Pliocene. Tenrecids from both worlds show a broad range of habits and adaptations, given their role as generally small, nocturnal, insect eaters - both worlds have burrowing, tree-climbing and aquatic species, and both have spiny genera as well - although for unknown reasons, no completely spiny tenrecs similar to the hedgehog tenrecs of HE have been discovered on Spec (so far). Some of the Spec species do share the HE tenrec ability to stridulate - rubbing the neck spines together to produce a rasping, chittering noise they use to communicate with their mother and litter-mates as they search for food. Even with these adaptations, tenrecs are frequently eaten by the reptilian predators of Spec. To compensate for this and other natural attrition, some species give birth to over 30 young at a time, although this forces the mother and litter to forage during daylight hours as well, or else starve.
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