Add Animal
    Mammals
    Mammals Birds Amphibians Reptiles Animals Ray-finned fishes Myxini – Hagfishes Petromyz' – Lampreys Sharks & rays Holocep' – Chimaeras Dipneusti – Lungfish Coelac' – Coelacanths Insecta – Insects / bugs Gastropoda – Snails & slugs Cephalopoda – Squids & octopuses Arachnida – Spiders & scorpions Malacostraca – Malacostracans Diplopoda – Millipedes Bivalvia – Marine molluscs Chilopoda – Centipedes Pycnogonida – Sea spiders Merostomata – Horseshoe crabs More Classes
    Filters

    Regions

    See AllSelect

    Habitat

    See AllSelect

    Geogale – Large-eared tenrec

    Has extremely sensitive auditory senses that are capable of locating prey that is as small as a termite

    Large-eared tenrec has large projecting ears, as their common name suggests. They are one of the smallest extant tenrecs. Their coat is short and soft with greyish-brown or reddish-brown on the upper side and buffish-white on the underside. The tail is covered with long and hairy fur. Even though they are nocturnal, they have bad eyesight; they depend on their auditory and olfactory senses.

    They have a low metabolic rate and are heterothermic, so their body temperature fluctuates with the external environment. These tenrecs enter a torpid state, decreasing the physiological activity during the day’s heat. They prey exclusively on arthropods, with termites being their favorite.