Comments on: SPECIES IDENTIFICATION: What am I?

By: buckdenton

buckdenton — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:00:41 +0000

You got it! It’s a large-eared tenrec (Geogale aurita).

By: EMayhem

EMayhem — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:53:22 +0000

Last guess – a tenrec.

By: buckdenton

buckdenton — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:46:22 +0000

You are getting colder, so I am afraid it is not a bandicoot, but you are correct not to have confidence in your hunch. Bandicoots are marsupials, and these little mammals are not marsupials. Another hint: There are two “forms” that matter here (because of location) – one form has spines or quills and the other is more shrew-like and lacks spines.

By: EMayhem

EMayhem — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:35:11 +0000

I’m not confident about this next guess: some type of bandicoot (?)

By: buckdenton

buckdenton — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:30:00 +0000

I see where you are going with this Electric Mayhem (great screen name). Good guess, but try again. Here are two more hints, (1) this little guy isn’t from the family Soricidae (shrews), and (2) it’s a termite specialist.

By: EMayhem

EMayhem — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:03:57 +0000

Etruscan shrew (Suncus etruscus)?