biology

Lesser hedgehog tenrec

Lesser hedgehog tenrec is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lesser hedgehog tenrec rather than just read about it. In short: The lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi) is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the genus Echinops and is named in honour of Charles Telfair.

Key takeaways

Lesser hedgehog tenrec belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lesser hedgehog tenrec to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lesser hedgehog tenrec from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi) is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the genus Echinops and is named in honour of Charles Telfair. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, shrubland, and shrubland and dry savanna.

Description The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a small, stout-bodied animal visually similar to a hedgehog, hence the name. Their tails are short, their limbs and muzzles are of moderate length, and their ears are prominent. The entire dorsum is covered with sharp spines. Color is usually yellow buff; individuals range from near white to almost black. Head and body length is 5 to 6.8 inches (13 to 17 cm). Weight is about 7 ounces (0.2 kg).

Lesser hedgehog tenrecs (like all tenrecs) have a cloaca (common urogenital opening), like a bird or a reptile.

Behavior This tenrec is terrestrial. It spends its daytime hours resting under a log, a pile of branches, leaves, straws or in a hollow tree, although trees are widely scattered in its native habitat. In hot weather, it sleeps with its body extended, but otherwise lies in a curled position to rest. It enters a state of torpor in the winter time. They mostly feed upon insects but may prey on small vertebrates, and usually forage alone, except for a mother with her young. Breeding is known to occur in October but may depend on warm weather first arousing the animals from winter torpor and on an available food supply. The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Promoniliformis ovocristatus.

Captivity The lesser hedgehog tenrec has become popular in the exotic pet industry.

Parasites The Acanthocephalan parasitic worm Promoniliformis ovocristatus was discovered in the intestine of the lesser hedgehog tenrec.

References Simon and Schuster's Guide to Mammals

Further reading Suárez R., Villalón A., Künzle H., Mpodozis J. (2009) "Transposition and Intermingling of Gαi2 and Gαo Afferences into Single Vomeronasal Glomeruli in the Madagascan Lesser Tenrec Echinops telfairi". PLoS ONE 4(11): e8005. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008005

External links View the Lesser hedgehog tenrec genome in Ensembl.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lesser hedgehog tenrec

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lesser hedgehog tenrec claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lesser hedgehog tenrec before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lesser hedgehog tenrec ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lesser hedgehog tenrec

In research: Lesser hedgehog tenrec appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lesser hedgehog tenrec in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lesser hedgehog tenrec is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Afrosoricida, IUCN Red List least concern species, Mammals described in 1838, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lesser hedgehog tenrec outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lesser hedgehog tenrec in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lesser hedgehog tenrec means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lesser hedgehog tenrec out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lesser hedgehog tenrec in simple terms?

The lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi) is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the genus Echinops and is named in honour of Charles Telfair.

Why does Lesser hedgehog tenrec matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lesser hedgehog tenrec?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lesser hedgehog tenrec.