Colorful Quills no longer breeds tenrecs. We recommend SMS Exotics for quality tenrec babies.
Madagascan Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec
Bella an adult female
Although African pygmy hedgehogs have become fairly well known as exotic pets, the lesser hedgehog tenrecs are extremely rare in the pet trade with only a handful of breeders in the US. Tenrecs resemble hedgehogs since they are nocturnal insectivores with quills, but actually they are not part of the hedgehog family. Lesser tenrecs are an unusual Madagascar species with bold personalities for such small animals.
Tenrecs rarely ball up or raise their quills. In fact the tenrec quills are not as long or sharp as the hedgehog quills. They range in color from light blond to dark brown. They are decent climbers and enjoy crawling over logs and other obstacles. Many tenrecs enjoy climbing on their humans as well.
Tenrecs make excellent pets! They are easy to care for with similar cage and diet requirements as hedgehogs. They can be housed alone or with other tenrecs. They are not noisy or stinky, and require no specialized exotic animal care. They are not as shy as hedgehogs and seem to truly enjoy interacting with their humans. Many tenrecs will come to the front of the cage for attention, and will willingly climb aboard a hand when offered.
For 4 or 5 months every winter from roughly November through February tenrecs enter an unusual form of hibernation known as torpor. During torpor the animal slows down considerably. They eat, and drink very little during this time, and require minimal care. On the other hand as the days lengthen and temperatures rise outside the tenrecs begin to wake up and their activity level and food intake returns to normal. Tenrecs only breed once a year, in the spring when they come out of torpor, so litters sell quickly. Please contact me about waiting lists.
Here are a few links for further tenrec information and research. If you have any questions or would like to meet the tenrecs don’t hesitate to ask. I love to talk about my critters!
Informational Websites
Hedgehog Central Madagascan Tenrecs *(Please note the pictures on the site are of the Greater Tenrecs. The lesser tenrecs are much smaller, and in my opinion cuter.)
Tenrecs rarely ball up or raise their quills. In fact the tenrec quills are not as long or sharp as the hedgehog quills. They range in color from light blond to dark brown. They are decent climbers and enjoy crawling over logs and other obstacles. Many tenrecs enjoy climbing on their humans as well.
Tenrecs make excellent pets! They are easy to care for with similar cage and diet requirements as hedgehogs. They can be housed alone or with other tenrecs. They are not noisy or stinky, and require no specialized exotic animal care. They are not as shy as hedgehogs and seem to truly enjoy interacting with their humans. Many tenrecs will come to the front of the cage for attention, and will willingly climb aboard a hand when offered.
For 4 or 5 months every winter from roughly November through February tenrecs enter an unusual form of hibernation known as torpor. During torpor the animal slows down considerably. They eat, and drink very little during this time, and require minimal care. On the other hand as the days lengthen and temperatures rise outside the tenrecs begin to wake up and their activity level and food intake returns to normal. Tenrecs only breed once a year, in the spring when they come out of torpor, so litters sell quickly. Please contact me about waiting lists.
Here are a few links for further tenrec information and research. If you have any questions or would like to meet the tenrecs don’t hesitate to ask. I love to talk about my critters!
Informational Websites
Hedgehog Central Madagascan Tenrecs *(Please note the pictures on the site are of the Greater Tenrecs. The lesser tenrecs are much smaller, and in my opinion cuter.)