--- title: "Lowland Streaked Tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A black-and-yellow striped Madagascan tenrec, roughly 125 to 280 g, with back quills that rub together to make high-frequency sound." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/lowland-streaked-tenrec-1.webp" published: "2026-09-01" updated: "2026-09-30" --- # Lowland Streaked Tenrec (*Hemicentetes semispinosus*) > **Status**: Checked against 5 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A black-and-yellow striped Madagascan tenrec, roughly 125 to 280 g, with back quills that rub together to make high-frequency sound. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Math Rock & Midwest Emo // Battles, "Atlas" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/5O8IbmlRKLvNNk5NRRwMFl) | [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpGp-22t0lU) > **Vibe Match**: A streaked tenrec makes its sound mechanically: it rubs the tips of the specialized quills on its back together rapidly to produce high-frequency sounds. Atlas is built from moving parts too, with clattering mechanical beats, buzzing synthesizer arpeggios and a hyperactive rhythmic bounce. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Hemicentetes semispinosus* - **Danger Level**: Low - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-1.rlts.t40593a97189434.en)) - **Superpower**: A stridulation organ of 7 to 16 specialized quills on its back that make high-frequency sound when rubbed together. - **Habitat**: Rainforests on the east side of Madagascar - **Diet**: Almost exclusively worms, with some other invertebrates - **Tags**: mammal, rainforest, carnivore, diurnal, burrower ## Natural History & Behavior ## Quills That Sing Above Your Hearing The lowland streaked tenrec (*Hemicentetes semispinosus*) wears black and yellow quills, with four yellow stripes: one down the snout and three along the body. A group of 7 to 16 of them on the back is a stridulation organ. Rubbing them together to make sound is known as stridulation, which insects such as cicadas do too. When the quill tips rub together, they make high-frequency sounds that scientists think let tenrecs in a foraging group talk to each other. Humans can't hear them. A study confirmed thickened skin muscle beneath those quills. Its cells contain mainly fast myosin, and the findings indicate that it contributes to the vibration of the quills and to the sound they make. > **Spiny head bobbing** When disturbed, these tenrecs erect the spines on the head and move the head up and down over and over, which is how one can impale a possible enemy or predator. Stamping of the forefeet and rushing at the disturbance may follow. ## A Handful of Spines Streaked tenrecs of both species average 140 mm long and have no tail. The lowland species weighs 125 to 280 g, and the AnAge longevity database lists an adult weight of 180 g. The species lives in the rainforests on the east side of Madagascar, and it is found only on Madagascar. In captivity, Animal Diversity Web reports up to 30 months. AnAge records 2.7 years from one captive animal and rates the data as questionable, with a small sample size. How long one lives in the wild is unknown. ## Worm Hunter, Day Shift Streaked tenrecs are almost exclusively worm-eaters, though they may eat other invertebrates too. They sometimes stamp on the ground with their forepaws, which may increase earthworm activity. Lowland streaked tenrecs are mainly active through the day. Their burrows are sealed with a leaf plug. One burrow may hold one tenrec or, in the breeding season, as many as 23. ## Warning Colours, Maybe Streaked tenrecs are natural prey for Dumeril's boas, Malagasy fossas, ring-tailed mongooses and civets. Their barbed, detachable quills are a defence mechanism. Nobody is sure why the stripes are bright. The Natural History Museum says scientists aren't certain that they evolved as a warning, and among the leaves on the forest floor they are probably still quite well camouflaged. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How many quills does a streaked tenrec use to make sound? A study of the sound organ on the back found an arrangement of 15 or 16 light-brown quills, with thickened skin muscle beneath them. The researchers named the structure the quill vibrator disc, and in a typical adult it measured 16.8 mm long and 8.55 mm wide. *(Source: [Endo et al. 2010]())* ### How long does a lowland streaked tenrec live? Animal Diversity Web reports as long as 30 months in captivity. Nobody knows how long they live in the wild. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())* ### How fast do baby streaked tenrecs grow up? Fast. A newborn weighs about 11 g, and spines start to grow within its first day. Young tenrecs are weaned by day 25 and count as adults by day 40. *(Source: [Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan]())* ## Sources 1. [Endo et al. (2010). A Quill Vibrating Mechanism for a Sounding Apparatus in the Streaked Tenrec (Hemicentetes semispinosus). Zoological Science.]() 2. [Hemicentetes semispinosus (streaked tenrec). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.]() 3. [AnAge entry for Hemicentetes semispinosus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.]() 4. [The weird world of tenrecs. Natural History Museum, London.]() 5. [Stephenson, Soarimalala & Goodman (2016). Hemicentetes semispinosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T40593A97189434.]() *Published September 1, 2026. 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