Why is this animal unusual?
On its back is a patch of special thick quills. By vibrating them against each other it produces high-pitched sounds, too high for us to hear, which it uses to keep in touch with its family in the undergrowth.
Why does it look like that?
The yellow stripes are a warning. Its spines are barbed and come loose, so anything that bites it ends up with a mouthful of needles.
Strangest biological feature
Musical quills – the only known case of a mammal making sound this way.
Why is it strange?
A young female can become pregnant when she’s only about five weeks old. Few mammals grow up faster.
Interesting behavioral facts
When threatened, it raises the spikes on its neck and head-butts the attacker. Unusually for a tenrec, it lives in family groups of up to 20.
Records held
The only mammal known to communicate by rubbing body parts together.
