KEEPING AND BREEDING THE LESSER HEDGEHOG TENREC (ECHINOPS TELFAIRI)

by Dirk N. Gerrits, Rotterdam

Housing

The animals are housed in cages of plastified plywood (60 x 60 x 60 cm) with a glass front, a removable stainless steel bottom and a meshwire (2 cm) covered ventilation opening (15 x 60 cm) at the top. They contain a large stone, some branches, verlically placed strips of meshwire for climbing and a carbeard box. Heating is provided by a 60 Watt Eltein lamp, heating the storie up to appr. 35 DC. The coldest part of the cage is appr. 24 "C. The bedding is dustfree woodgrains.

Food The animals receive a basic diet of dry and canned catfood. In addition they ate fed a variety of living insects, which they prefer over anything, such as crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, cockroaches, isopods (they also accept frozen crickets and grasshoppers) and nest-mice, nest-rats and chicken hatchlings. Pregnant and lactating females receive extra insedts and twice weekly Nutrilion-soya mixed with water-diluted catmilk. All food is dusted with Gistocal or Carrnix. Clean water is always available although the animals do not drink very often.

Hibernation

In their native environment on Madagascar the Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec hibemates over the dry season. Here they easily do this in winter. This resting period is essential for successful breeding. In September and October the animals spontaneousiy become less active, statt eating lesser. Young animals can still be tured out of the sleeping box with insects, but the older and fatter animals even refuse to do that. Early in december the sexes are separated and the temperature is lowered 4.0 18 - 20 OC. In February the temperature is raised again to "normal", the animals remain separated till the beginning of March,

Mating and Breeding

When the animals are paired, the males become directly exited and produce a white orbital exudate. Mating goes on for about one week. When paired with several females the male usually mates one fernale at the time, Gestation time is approximamatly 65 days. A week before the females are due, they are given straw and tissues as nesting material and the male is removed, otherwise he will be pestered continuously. In one occasion a male was present at birth and he did not consume the new-born. New-born animals are felatively large with small spines and weight between 10 aild 15 grams. After 5 - 8 days the eyes open. In ' the third week the young statt exploring and eating. (N.B. the speed of development differs, considerably between litters). Feffi ale and young stay together till hibemation. Attention should be given to the condition of the female, especially in large litters and when the young statt feeding voraciously.

Sexdifference

Males have broader head than females with hairless reddish peri-orbital thickening. The eye opening is also lärger than in females. In sexually immature animals these differences are mostly not very marked. Sexual maturity is reached after 9 months.

Additional remarks.

- Problems with dentition jaw abscesses) are quite frequent, especially in older animals. Therefore it is important to feed regularly with hard foot (insects, dry catfood). - Adult males which have been separated for a long time fight intensely when put in the same cage. - Healthy animals weigh between 120 and 160 grams. Don't overfeed since they gain weight very easy. lt they are too heavy the animals become very sluggish and inactive and fasting has only a minor effect. - Pregnant females should gain between 50 and 80 grams (mainly over the last 3 weeks of the pregnancy)