DENTITION OF TANREC.
The Tanrec (its figure will be seen in [Plate 11]) measures about fifteen or sixteen inches in length, of which nearly one-third is made up by the elongated head. Its body is covered with a mixture of bristles, hairs, and more or less flexible spines, the latter being especially strong about the nape and sides of the neck, where they measure about one-fifth of an inch in length, and form a sort of crest or collar. The spines are longer and more flexible on the body, where they are mixed with bristles, which prevail especially on the back, and these measure sometimes as much as two inches long. The belly and limbs are clothed with short hair. All these dermal appendages are yellowish, with the middle brown, giving the animal a general tawny colour, which is paler or yellowish on the limbs. The face is brownish and the long whiskers which spring from each side of the muzzle are of a dark brown colour. This is the general coloration of the species, which, however, varies occasionally. The young are said to be brown with yellow longitudinal streaks, which disappear with age.
This animal occurs abundantly not only in Madagascar, but also in the small islands of Nossi-falie, Nossi-bé, and St. Marie, and it has been introduced into Mayotte, Réunion, and the Mauritius. It passes one-half of the year in a state of torpidity, and this not in the hot season, as has been supposed, but in the colder part of the year. About May or June the Tanrecs dig themselves holes, in which they sleep until December, with their heads comfortably tucked away between the hind legs. Their burrows are generally betrayed by the presence of a small heap of earth or moss thrown up at the entrance, and as the animals are at this time very fat, and regarded as great delicacies by the natives of Madagascar and the Creoles of Réunion, they are then pursued with great avidity. Their flesh is said by some people to be preferable to Sucking-pig; but others complain that it has a musky flavour. In Madagascar the inhabitants hunt the Tanrecs with Dogs trained expressly for the purpose.
The number destroyed for food seems to be very great; but the fecundity of the animal is such as to compensate even for this violent persecution. The female is said to produce from twelve to sixteen young at a birth, and she is described as taking the greatest care of her progeny. As soon as the young Tanrecs can run about, she takes them with her in search of food, and will then defend them bravely against every danger, allowing herself to be killed rather than be separated from her family.
The Tanrecs—or Tangues, as they are called by M. Pollen—live chiefly in the mountains, in places covered with mosses, ferns, and bushes. Their food consists principally of earthworms, which they rout out by means of their feet and pointed snouts, using the latter after the fashion of a Pig. Insects also form a part of their diet; and, like the Hedgehog, they are said to feed upon certain fruits and roots. In captivity they will eat raw meat, and are also said to be fond of bananas. Their habits are nocturnal; they sleep nearly all the day, and come forth in full activity only at night.
Several other supposed species of this genus have been described, but only one of them appears to be really distinct, namely, the Streaked Tanrec (C. semispinosus), which is described as about the size of a Mole, and streaked with black and yellow. It also inhabits Madagascar. It forms the genus Hemicentetes of Professor Mivart.
THE TENDRAC.[266]
An animal much more like a Hedgehog than the preceding, having the body covered with spines almost as formidable as those of the Common Hedgehog, and also possessing the power of rolling itself into a ball, is the Tendrac of Madagascar (its figure will be seen in [Plate 11]). It has been formed into a separate genus (Ericulus), distinguished by the above peculiarities, by the presence of only two pairs of incisor teeth in each jaw, by its canine teeth possessing two roots and a second small cusp to the crown, and by its possession of a short tail like that of the Hedgehog. The total number of teeth is thirty-six. The Tendrac is about one-third less than our Common Hedgehog, which it closely resembles in appearance, and in the form of its muzzle, ears, tail, and feet. Its general tint is blackish, its spines being black, with the tips white or reddish. In its habits it resembles the Tanrec.
Telfair’s Tendrac (Echinops Telfairi) is another little Hedgehog-like inhabitant of Madagascar, where, according to Mr. Telfair, its discoverer, it goes by the native name of Sokinah (its figure will be seen in [Plate 11]). In its general characters it closely resembles Ericulus, but has only two premolars on each side in each jaw, and the two intermediate upper incisors are much longer than the others. It is the only known species of its genus. Its length is about five inches; it has a short pointed snout, a very short tail, and ears of moderate size, and rounded; its colour above is brownish, and beneath dingy white, and the upper surface is thickly covered with sharp spines, which are whitish at the base, and chestnut brown at the tips. All the feet are five-toed.