Hemacenteles semispinosus G. Cuvier 1798

4. Lowland Streaked Tenrec Hemacenteles semispinosus French: Tenrec rayé / German: Eigentlicher Streifentenrek / Spanish: Tenrec listado de tierras bajas Taxonomy. Ericulus semispinosus G. Cuvier, 1798, “Madagascar.” Hemicentetes semispinosus is distinguished from H. nigripes by craniodental characteristics and external appearance. They are sympatric in some localities. Monotypic. Distribution. Northern and Central highlands and E Madagascar. Descriptive notes. Head-body 104-176 mm, ear 12-20 mm, hindfoot 19-30 mm; weight 76-108 g. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec has no external tail; dorsal pelage is spinous, with sparse underfur and long, sparse guard hairs on dorsal surface. Base color is black, with broad lightcolored stripe on midline of head; conspicuous light-colored fan of spines occurs on top of head and nape of neck; light-colored longitudinal dorsal and lateral stripes on body are variably distinctive; and a few broad light-colored spines are scattered among dark spines within dark areas of dorsum. Contrasting light areas of body show individual variation from reddish buff to orange and yellow. Stout spines of stridulating organ in posterior mid-dorsal region are conspicuous reddish buff. Ventral pelage is bright reddish buffy brown or yellow, with mixture of sparse soft bristly hairs and spines. Head and limbs are covered with sparse but bristly fur. Large naked rhinarium of the Lowland Streaked Tenrec is covered with oval scales, and ears are moderately prominent. Forefeet are broad; first and fifth digits just reach to orjust beyond base of proximal digit; second, third, and fourth digits are long, with long, shallowly curved, stout claws. Hindfeet are moderately broad, with long claws on middle three digits. Dental formulais13/3,C1/1,P 3/3, M 3/3 (x2) = 40. Habitat. Humid forests; open woodland; degraded, agricultural and urban areas from near sea level to elevations of ¢.2050 m. Food and Feeding. [.owland Streaked Tenrecs mainly eat species of Annelida and Orthoptera and some coleopteran larvae. Feeding occurs during the day and in evening and early morning. Breeding. Gestation is ¢.58 days. Near Périnet (Analazamaotra Special Reserve), litters had 5-8 young but might be larger in captivity. Wild-caught females were pregnant with seven embryos in May, three embryos in July, and seven embryos in October. In a single captive litter of seven young, eyes opened at 7-10 days old, and solid food was eaten at c.3 weeks old. Young become sexually mature at 35-40 days old, and breeding can occur year-round under favorable conditions. Activity patterns. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec is active day and night. It excavates shallow burrows where it spends rest periods. In the wild, it has been seen between 13:00 h and 14:00 h and between 18:00 h and 20:15 h. A captive female and her five young had a major activity peak at midday, another major peak between 18:00 h and 19:00 h, and an extended peak between 04:00 h and 06:00 h; they were inactive in the afternoon. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec is apparently active year-round butless so in May-October. Individuals found at Ivohibe Special Reserve in August-September were very sluggish and cold to the touch after cold nights butstill with food in their intestines, indicating daily torpidity and partial seasonal torpidity. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec 1s a facultative hibernator; under favorable conditions, it can remain active year-round, although it still shows a reduction in activity during austral winter. It is semi-fossorial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec can be solitary but usually occurs in small family units or extended family groups of up to three generations that forage together. A single individual or a small family unit of an adult male and female and their young occupy a relatively simple shallow burrow, but a large family group or colonies of 20 or more individuals inhabit a relatively complex burrow system. Spines ofstridulating organs rub together as individuals move, and individuals probably can hear sounds produced by stridulating organs up to 10 m, helping to maintain contact among members of a group. In captivity, Lowland Streaked Tenrecs also produce tongue and lip clicks in experimental testing and when exploring an unfamiliar area, which are believed to be involved in echolocation. Predators include Fosas (Cryptoproctaferox), Spotted Fanalokas (Fossafossana), Ring-tailed Vontsiras (Galidia elegans), and large snakes. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Lowland Streaked Tenrec has a wide distribution and can be locally abundant, although overall population trends are unknown. It apparently can adapt to anthropogenic habitats, and it is hunted for food in some areas. Bibliography. Asher & Hofreiter (2006), Butler (1941), Dobson (1882), Eisenberg & Gould (1970), Everson et al. (2016), Goodman, Jenkins & Rakotondravony (2000), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Gould (1965), Mar shall & Eisenberg (1996), Olson & Goodman (2003), Poux, Madsen, Glos et al. (2008), Poux, Madsen, Marquard et al. (2005), Rand (1935), Salton & Sargis (2008a, 2008b, 2009), Schmid & Stephenson (2003), Soarimalala & Goodman (2003, 2011), Stephenson (2003b, 2007), Stephenson & Racey (1994), Stephenson, Racey & Rakotondraparany (1994), Stephenson, Soarimalala & Goodman (2016e), Wever & Herman (1968).
Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Tenrecidae, pp. 134-172 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 164-165, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6808230