Highland streaked tenrec
Species of mammal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The highland streaked tenrec (Hemicentetes nigriceps) is an insectivore which lives in the central upland regions of Madagascar. Its black-and-white-striped body is covered with quills, which it raises when agitated. The spines detach and remain in the body of an inquisitive predator. The function of the black-and-white pattern may be to mimic juveniles of Tenrec ecaudatus, since the parents of this species are known to be aggressively protective, and the stripes may have developed as a type of camouflage while foraging.[3] The highland streaked tenrec uses its long snout to burrow under leaves and bark, searching for earthworms, its primary food.
| Highland streaked tenrec[1] | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Afrosoricida |
| Suborder: | Tenrecomorpha |
| Family: | Tenrecidae |
| Genus: | Hemicentetes |
| Species: | H. nigriceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemicentetes nigriceps Günther, 1875 | |
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| Highland streaked tenrec range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hemicentetes semispinosus nigriceps | |
