tenrec

Small mammals of order Insectivora. The 23 species are placed in the family Tenrecidae, confined to Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. The common tenrec, genus Tenrec ecaudatus, is a tailless animal about 40 cm/16 in long, one of the largest insectivores. It has a brownish coat with spines along the top of the head and neck. Tenrecs usually have rounded bodies and large heads with a long snout. They eat insects, worms, other small animals, and fruit, live in burrows and are nocturnal. The female gives birth to up to 21 young at a time, more than any other mammal.