VMD 512: Zoo/Wild Animal Breeding, Management, Nutrition and Health Care (1+1)

INSECTIVORA

• This has 8 families, 70 genera and approximately 400 species of small mammals.
• The distribution of these insectivores including location and specialities is a wide one in general.

Family	Species	Location
Solenodons	2	Antilles
Tenrecs	20	Madagascar
African water shrews	3	Africa
Golden moles	20	Africa
Hedgehogs	15	Old world
Elephant shrews	18	Africa
True shrews	314	Worldwide
True moles	20	Northern hemisphere

• In the insectivores, the hedgehogs and tenrecs have more spines on skin and the spiny nature helps them to roll like balls when the predators attempt to attack them. Such anatomical variants vary from species to species.
• For example, elephant shrews have extremely long mobile noses and long legs. Armored shrews have a unique spinal column with extensive ramification of long processes that have multiple interlaces. Similarly, the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) has 22 radiating fleshy thin appendages around the muzzle which are the tactile organs.
• Moles have paddle like forefeet with enhanced musculature for digging rapidly. Webbed feet with laterally flattened tails are present in few aquatic forms of insectivores.