Insectivores

Insectivores are mammals that survive by eating almost nothing except small insects.

• Shrew• Hedgehog• Mole• Tenrec

Shrew

• Shrews are very small and very aggressive mammals. • They live in almost every type of habitat. • There are about 260 species of shrew.

Shrew

• Shrews are related to moles; they are not rodents. • They are very good burrowers and swimmers. • Many shrews are nocturnal.

Shrew

• The North American Pygmy shrew may be the smallest mammal in the world.

• It weighs about 2 - 4 grams. • It’s body is about the size of a person’s thumb.• The biggest shrews are about 1 foot long.

Shrew

• Shrews have short, dense fur, clawed feet, a long snout, sharp teeth, and big ears.

• They have very good hearing but also use echolocation.

Shrew

• Shrews need to eat their own weight in food each day! • They will even attack and kill animals that are bigger than

they are. • Some species of shrew are venomous and have a

poisonous bite.

Shrew Scientific Name

• Sorex cinereus (Masked Shrew)

Hedgehog

• The hedgehog is a small, noisy animal whose hair is modified into stiff, spiky spines on the upper part of its body.

• They are native to Africa, Asia, and Europe. • They can live in a wide variety of habitats. • Hedgehogs will hibernate in very cold climates and

aestivate in hot deserts. • They have a lifespan of about 5 years in captivity.

Hedgehog

• The hedgehog was named because of its odd foraging methods.

• They will root through hedges and other undergrowth looking for food.

• As it picks its way through the hedges, it makes a pig-like grunt—so the name “hedgehog.”

Hedgehog

• If attacked, the hedgehog will curl up into a prickly ball that is almost impossible to attack.

• They will usually sleep in this position during the day and awaken at night to hunt.

Hedgehog

• Hedgehogs are also solitary animals. • They will only get with other hedgehogs to mate. • Young hedgehogs only stay with their mothers about 4-7

weeks. • Females must guard against male hedgehogs, who will

sometimes eat the young babies. • Mothers have also been known to eat their young if the

nest has been disturbed.

Hedgehog Scientific Name

• Erinaceus albiventris (Common Hedgehog)

Mole

• The mole is a burrowing mammal with substantial claws. • It lives underground for most of its life. • There are about 30 species of mole found worldwide.

Mole

• Moles live in a variety of habitats, including fields, woodlands, swampy land, river banks, and deserts.

• Moles have a lifespan of about 3 years in the wild. • Some moles are very good swimmers.

Mole

• Moles have tiny eyes and are virtually blind. • They have a great sense of touch which is helped by

sensory bumps on the snout, sensory whiskers on the face, and sensory hairs on the feet and tail.

• They have shovel-shaped, five-toed, thick-clawed feet that are very efficient at burrowing.

• Many moles have a long, powerful tail.

Mole

• Moles eat their own weight in food each day. • They eat insects, earthworms, some small mice, and some

other small animals. • They find prey primarily using their sense of touch.

Mole Scientific Name

• Scalopus aquaticus (Eastern Mole)

Tenrec

• Tenrecs are found on Madagascar and other nearby islands.

• There are about 20 species of tenrec.

Tenrec

• They range in length from about 1-15 inches, not including the tail.

• Most species are some shade of brown on top, with lighter undersides.

• Many species have prickly spines covering their bodies. • Some species, such as the streaked tenrec, have stripes

formed by rows of yellow spines.

Tenrec

• Tenrecs have long snouts that they use to forage for food. • Their diet consists mainly of insects and worms, but they

will also eat plant material.

Tenrec

• Some tenrecs live in trees; some live in water; others live underground like moles.

• Female tenrecs, unlike most mammals, have lots of babies at one time.

• They can bear more than 10 young. • Some can even have up to 23 in one litter!!

Tenrec

• Newborn tenrecs are usually naked and blind. • They will usually develop at different rates. • Usually, a few hours after birth, the newborns can crawl

like lizards. • Within about 2 ½ weeks, babies are able to move around

quickly in the nest. • They are completely dependent on their mothers for food

during their early weeks.

Tenrec Scientific Name

• Tenrec ecaudatus (Common Tenrec)

Final Point!!!• Which insectivore would you be and why?