Insectivores

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

• Shrew
• Hedgehog
• Mole
• Tenrec

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Shrew

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

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Shrew

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

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Shrew

• The North American Pygmy shrew may be the
  smallest mammal in the world.
• It weighs about 2 - 4 grams.
• Its body is about the size of a persons thumb.
• The biggest shrews are about 1 foot long.

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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.

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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.

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Shrew Scientific Name

• Sorex cinereus (Masked Shrew)

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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.

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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 gruntso the name hedgehog.

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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.

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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.

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Hedgehog Scientific Name

• Erinaceus albiventris (Common Hedgehog)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Mole Scientific Name

• Scalopus aquaticus (Eastern Mole)

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Tenrec

• Tenrecs are found on Madagascar and other nearby
  islands.
• There are about 20 species of tenrec.

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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.

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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.

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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!!

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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.

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Tenrec Scientific Name

• Tenrec ecaudatus (Common Tenrec)

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Final Point!!!

• Which insectivore would you be and why?