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Welcome to Over the Edge Hedgehogs!
What is a Tenrec?
The first thing you should know about me is that I am not an African Pygmy hedgehog. I am a Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec.
The Madagascar Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec was named for its resemblance to the African Pygmy Hedgehog, however this created some confusion in the pet world. Tenrecs are often mistaken for hedgehogs due to their name, but they are actually two,separate species of animals. Hedgehogs are from the order Erinaceomorpha while the tenrec is from the Afrosoricida order.
So they aren't hedgehogs?
The Lesser Tenrec is a semi-arboreal species native to the dry regions of Madagascar. They are a prey animal with spines to deter their predators, but they can also be found taking to the trees for cover and shelter. They are a newer domesticated species so we still have a lot to learn about our spiky little friends. Right now science is not focusing on the tenrec so majority of the information available comes from other animal enthusiasts. We will share what we know in the following sections.
Background
Housing&Heating
There are a couple great cage options available for lesser tenrecs. Because the lesser tenrec is a semi arboreal species wire cages make a good choice. They are easy to hang more climbing items from and the wire allows your tenrec to scale the sides of the cage, while providing proper ventillation for your friend. If choosing a wire cage ensure the bars spacing is no more than a 1/2 inch apart to prevent escaping. Another great option is a vivarium style cage most often built with a plastic. These cages are great display cages and can be custom built with your choice of dimensions and materials. Heating is still widely debated in terms of needing heat lamps or not. Tenrecs seem to do fairly well at room temperatures and the current recommendations are 68-72 degrees F as a minimum. We keep our tenrecs at a higher temperature around 75-79 degrees F, just keep in mind they come from the hot regions in Madagascar that reach 90-100 degrees F during summer days.
Substrate&Toys
There are tons of substrate options for your tenres cage, keep in mind that they are native to dry arid areas, so you will want to use drier substrate options. We are currently using eco earth loose coconut fiber, other options include; coconut husks, kiln dried pine, pine pellets, paper bedding, and fleece. The options are endless.
Toys are important for your tenrec to stay active and healthy. The first toy I recommend getting is a wire wheel. Your tenrec will use this to "run" on, but will also "climb" it as well. Other great toys are ropes, bridges, hide huts, and fleece sacks.
Diet&Supplements
Lesser Tenrecs are opportunistic omnivores in the wild, so we do our best to mimic that diet in captivity. That means that LIVE insects are a necessity in the diet of a tenrec and they should be offered at least every other day. Some insects favorites include mealworms, superworms, dubia roaches, and wax worms; you can offer any almost any feeder insect to your pet tenrec. DO NOT FEED INSECTS FROM OUTDOORS DUE TO RISK OF PARASITES OR INSECTICIDE EXPOSURE. We also offer our tenrecs whole prey items to help meet nutritional needs including pinkie mice, eggs, and livers.We do offer daily kibble in addition to bugs or whole prey items with the goal of meeting any unmet nutritional requirements. Tenrecs also a need vitamin supplementation of calcium with vitamin D to prevent metabolic bone disease. This can be purchased as a powder and dusted over their insects a couple times a week.
Torpor&Hibernation
Torpor is a fancy word for partial hibernation. Tenrecs go through a partial hibernation through from late fall through early spring. During this time your tenrec will be much less active and much more sleepy. You will notice that their appetite will slow down drastically only coming out for an occasional snack or sip of water. Your tenrec will feel cooler to the touch and will also more much slower during this time as well. It can be a nerve clenching time for the new owner, but it is a normal process for your new friend.
Cohabilitation
Tenrecs are solitary animals and will not require that you have two housed together. If you do want to house multiple tenrecs together we recommend a female pair or trio. Males are better housed individually because of the chances of fighting between multiple males housed together.
For more information on Lesser Tenrecs we highly recommend joining Everything Tences on facebook.