Name: Needles                               Species: Lesser Tenrec (Echinops telfairi)

​​Age: 4 years old                              Sex: Male

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These little cuties are often mistaken as being from the hedgehog family but in fact, they are shrews from Madagascar! Like hedgehogs, they curl up into a protective spiky ball when they feel threatened but they are far smaller than their look-a-likes. They spend their nights exploring their surroundings and foraging for insects, worms and even baby snakes and lizards, but in the winter are actually quite lazy spending almost all their time curled up in torpor