Tenrecs Will Not Stay In Their Lane

If all crustaceans “want” to look like crabs, then tenrecs “want” to look like basically any other small mammal. These weird little guys are endemic to Madagascar - they’re native to nowhere else on Earth.
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Sources:
afrotheria.net/tenrecs/
www.britannica.com/animal/ten...
academic.oup.com/sysbio/artic...
animaldiversity.org/accounts/...
www.britannica.com/list/the-l...
www.britannica.com/place/Mada...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/p...
anthropology.yale.edu/sites/d...
animaldiversity.org/accounts/...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16243...
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-we...
news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_...
bioone.org/journals/zoologica...
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• Giant jumping rat infants

[@BizarreBeasts]

Do you need locusts stickers? store.dftba.com/collections/bizarrebeasts/products/locust-sticker-sheet

[@The1Helleri]

Something to keep in mind is that the rafting hypothesis is rarely alluding to a clump of leaves on a log carrying one pregnant rodent to an island where it's rescued by washing up on the beach. Big enough rivers actually produce floating islands. Interlocked root systems of semi aquatic plants sprawl out into shallow water. There's a build of sediment that gets trapped in these roots, and when conditions are right these mostly vegetation peninsulas can loose their anchoring, break off and float down river. In Columbia on the Megdalena river some German researchers found one such island slowly drifting down river. It was 80 meters in diameter, had mature tree growing on it and a troop of howler monkeys. These islands can sometimes work their way down river without being permanently caught on a bank, and make it out to the ocean. They are basically giant lily pads. Tide, currents, and winds can carry them far enough to run into and island beach if they don't capsize first. Which can bring dozens of new species to an island. Some of which may see their island populations go extinct. Some won't even make it but die on the way. But a few might adapt and find an open niche or take one over.

[@stevecarter8810]

Golden comment thanks

[@ElysetheEevee]

I'm just thinking of that one floating bunch of vegetation and whatnot that floats toward that bridge every year and a dozen people volunteer wirh boats to move the island back so it doesn't crash into the bridge. It's in the US. In Maine, I think. That was my first thought with this, haha. Your explanation makes a lot of sense, though.

[@YoungGandalf2325]

I can't wait until someone discovers the Human Tenrec.

[@mk_rexx]

Withiout competition to lemurs, I bet they will also fill the primate niche

[@SkippOtter]

Bigfoot is actually a tenrec

[@frailvoid5844]

they'll never find me, NEVER

[@t.a.c7292]

It could be any one of us

[@stephansteohanlarsen7457]

Marvel is coming out with a New movie - tenrec Man

[@Musicanimedork01]

Reading the title I thought this was a species that evolved to be VIOLENTLY against crabs

[@potaterjim]

"Holy crap, this tenrec has quills, and a vibrant coloring, and even chirps like a cricket." "Hmmmm yes You're right it _does_ live in a lowland"

[@Nylak-Otter]

I mean, come up with a one or two word descriptor for that nonsense as a preface to the species. And no, "weird ass tenrec" is not permitted.

[@potaterjim]

@@Nylak-Otter the chirping quilled tenrec!

[@EmmanQuinones5234]

Carcinaization is convergent while Tenrecification is divergent. While all crabs will become *the one* someday, the tenrecs will become *the many.* Honestly, both prospects are highly terrifying and highly entertaining to consider in thought haha.

[@officersoulknight6321]

Skinwalker mouse

[@HaloInverse]

"Wait, _all_ mammals are highly-specialized tenrecs?" _(cocks gun)_ "Always have been."

[@raylordofkhalah28]

its divergent for the tenrecs, and convergent for the specific tenrec and another animal they are very similar to (Example, mole tenrec)

[@maximedaunis8292]

I don't know why, i was expecting to see a fight between a tenrec and a crab

[@Musicanimedork01]

Ratking but tenrecs

[@reywashere5284]

The same thing happened with Madagascar's frogs - the Mantellidae got there and filled all the frog niches available. They have poison-dart frog lookalikes, tree frog lookalikes, even toad lookalikes!

[@stephansteohanlarsen7457]

Aye aye Sir

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

Do they have cane toad lookalikes? Should be a real winning strategy given how successful it's been for the original.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

​@@ArawnOfAnnwn came toad populations stay in control in their native range. It's only when they get relocated that they get out of control because they have few predators outside their habitat. They're native to Costa Rica and common there, but they're not a threat to the native animals and enough animals eat them to keep them in check.

[@victory8928]

@@ArawnOfAnnwncane toads only became as successful as they were cause they were introduced into areas that hadn’t already been able to handle their toxins. If more australian predators could tolerate the poison, cane toads would be in much smaller numbers

[@averageduck1327]

Tenrecs literally are the Ditto's of real life. They look the same but you can tell something isn't quite the same 😂

[@draconinja2728]

They even got them Ditto eyes xD

[@francorodriguez3499]

the eevees

[@Nikki0417]

Madagascar has so many unique species. It's like a tiny Australia that doesn't want to kill you.

[@HaloHighlightz]

Lol by far the most spot on description of Madagascar I’ve seen

[@lunchb0x1986]

I hate how everyone thinks Aussie wildlife is dangerous. Yeah there's some deadly spiders and snakes, jelly fish and Crocs up north. But. We have no bears, no mountain lions/cougars/bobcats (I don't know if they're the same things or not), no coyotes and no wolves. I personally think north American wildlife is more dangerous.

[@Z4RD4N34]

​@@lunchb0x1986 Bobcats are different. You forgot bison and moose.

[@J_Pawsadas-PTSDEnjoyer]

@@lunchb0x1986 bears can't reside in my home, accidentally be stepped on, or appear mostly clear in water

[@Nikki0417]

@@lunchb0x1986 bobcats are a different, much smaller species that aren't known for attacking humans. Also, the top 10 most dangerous snakes all come from Australia. In fact, 20 out of 25 most venomous snakes are from Australia. The reputation's well earned.

[@suicicada]

I thought she was going to say “Fish Tenrecs” as the answer to how they got to Madagascar lol

[@fishea]

I have heard the rafting thing referred to as "sweepstakes colonization" because of its unlikely odds and huge possible payoffs for the animals involved. Glad to see it explicated here, yes! Go tenrecs!

[@NewMessage]

"OMG, hedgehogs are totally out this year. Shrew is where it's at!"

[@loofy530]

I love these little critters, so very varied and all so very cute!

[@michaelcarlton1484]

The pattern of her blouse and the designs on her collar make her look like Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus.

[@ComradeCorvus]

I am honestly surprised that there isn't a tenrec pokemon yet. The lowland streaked one gives off massive electric type vibes.

[@empressmanchae]

Oh yes I saw some fanmade ones named Tenric and Tenectric. P cool!

[@damiancruz42]

Probably because Sega beat them to it

[@Ug-lordetheunmovable]

So what I'm hearing is this little man is real life equivalent to Eevee?

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

Madagascar just needs something that isn't a cat, that looks like a cat. Wait, the Fossa has that covered, nvm.

[@ANTSEMUT1]

It's still part of feliformia, so not that far away from cats.

[@Z4KIUS]

"endemic to Madagascar" and that explains everything: they took their chance and filled a lot of niches, the same way marsupials turned into an almost dog, an almost badger/wolverine, few other "almosts" and even a weirdo Kangaroo

[@MatthewFTabor]

All of those different tenrecs expressing evolutionary convergence with so many other mammals is also a really good example of DIVERGENT evolution, since they're all so much different from each other despite their shared origin.

[@nerdyfan21]

Didn’t know Surge’s kind were so interesting haha

[@Notabot-2112]

If the lowland streaked tenrec isn't already the basis for a pokémon, it should be.

[@deadlydingus1138]

It kind of looks like cyndaquil.

[@terpsidance.]

It's the basis for a Sonic character, I'll let you guess which one

[@chantekiddo2293]

It would be cool to have one as the base for a base default one and the others as base for various evolutions like eevee

[@tonyhakston536]

@@terpsidance. if you’re talking about Shadow, that’s a misconception. If you’re talking about Surge, I don’t think the specific species of Tenrec was ever stated.

[@Zippythewondersquirrel]

Ditto

[@Auryce]

A little off topic, but the hair color is pretty. Whoever did the gradient did a fantastic job.

[@LimeyLassen]

Same for the tenrec!

[@MikeyandFriendsTNA]

Brilliant episode. I got that old feeling I use to get in school when I was learning something truly fascinating. It was rare because I didn't like school lol but still, great episode

[@americaroleplayer]

Sometimes I'll get the pin a few days before the video goes up and have several days to build up the anticipation and excitement of seeing these videos. You guys NEVER disappoint! :D

[@michaelpytel3280]

Wait for Tenrecs to get to the Moon.

[@GreenPoint_one]

Wait for whale tenrecs 😙🙃

[@RaquelFoster]

Pretty sure my mom's a Midwest Boomer Tenrec who got washed out to sea in the 1970s. She's also a mammal with a low metabolic rate. I think about 65% of Ohio/Pennsylvania is tenrecs. If it's quiet you can hear them making those cricket noises with their cloaca.

[@HYEOL]

This voice is so enjoyable

[@JurassicLion2049]

Oh my gosh… this is where the protagonist of Cadillacs and Dinosaurs gets his name! Jack Tenrec!!!

[@lillithcollins5192]

Not at all Tenrec related but I'm loving the green hair. This is what I get for having a Biology major and an art minor... I also can't stay in my lane.

[@SarahSutaMFA]

Thank you! As someone who double majored in Biology and Radio/Telvision/Film, I completely understand!!!

[@stephansteohanlarsen7457]

Have degree in biology as well been to Madagascar 1998 saw two tenrec species Tucson Arizona Sonoran desert 🏜️🌵 yes I went to Cal poly San Luis Obispo and then Stockholm university rastafari yes I keep on keeping on evolution did my field study in Mocambique on prawns in the mangrove

[@TheReZisTLust]

Actually the color green is available to use because the Greneric was found in 769 BC somewhere in the Northeast of China I think it was 🥺

[@Sarah.Riedel]

I love your Pin Club charity! My mom spent 2 years in Sierra Leone with the Peace Corps back in 1970 teaching in a tiny remote village.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

Adaptive radiation, a rather typical example of when an inconspicuous species shows up on an island and specializes to fill all the niches

[@triangledefinition]

I wonder if these historical species rafting events are caused by devastating tsunamis and hurricanes or more singular smaller events.

[@GaryDunion]

5:18 I think I saw The Cloaca Sitiation supporting R.E.M. in 1986

[@naturalistmind]

Always happy to be reminded that so many non bird animals have been blessed with cloacas

[@Markus0021]

"blessed" with cloacas - ok, we'll go with that...

[@kellydalstok8900]

If human women are prone to cystitis because the urethra and anus are in such close proximity, then what about animals that have a SHARED opening for liquid and solid waste?

[@pendlera2959]

@@kellydalstok8900 Obviously it's not a problem if it's so widespread. Humans are probably different because we often have reasons to hold it whereas animals just go when they need to.

[@jannetteberends8730]

The color of the presenters hair keep me wondering; is it the lighting or a very sophisticated hair painting. It’s beautiful imo.

[@Zagaroth]

Off topic: I love the green hair look! My wife and I have been experimenting with different dyes for her hair and I occasionally mess with a bit of left over dye for my hair or beard (discovered the hard way that I have to make sure it doesn't have unpleasant fumes for beard dying...)

[@monti_skunk]

Pigmy hedgehog tenrecs were my favorite animal in elementary school! :)

[@theghosthero6173]

Mind you somehow until about 1000 years ago, tiny Hippos lived on Madagascar. They probably swam the 400km between african and the island, somehow (lower water level?). So the tenrec floting there isn't the wildest idea.

[@PerogiXW]

lowland streaked tenred is like "I will become a dandelion"

[@joelbell6075]

I love learning about weird Earth beasts from Pearl! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@michaelpickard5252]

50 years ago I read in a guiness book of records, that the streaked tenrec has the greatest appetite of any mammal and the shortest gestation period.

[@sydneymomma11]

Oh, what a funky fact to learn! Thanks for sharing.

[@georgedunn320]

Really? Exceeding that of the Pygmy shrew? [Its body weight every 12 hours.]

[@trenthawkins]

0:50 OH MY GOD THEY DEVELOPED MANDIBLES! ... oh, wait, no, sorry, it was just eating a grub.

[@nekkidnora]

God, tenrecs have been boggling my mind for years. It's like EVOLUTION GONE CRAZY!

[@bugguyonline]

I LOVE BIZARRE BEASTS!!! thank you for making this great show!!

[@SaiyanHeretic]

IRL Eevee

[@miguellilly8859]

1:00 there are so many mole mimic, I did not even know about this one.

[@krankarvolund7771]

And as another weird thing about Tenrecs, they're cousins of elephants, lamantines and other weird african animals ^^

[@jayAAlves]

They remind me of ditto trying to mimic other pokémon

[@ryanreedgibson]

Another great value for YT! What an awesome channel!

[@dracodracarys2339]

imagine if there was a terraformed earth like planet with no vertebrates on it and then someone turned tenrecs loose on it and let them evolve for 500 million years

[@duartelopes5223]

Guaranteed Twilight Zone episode. Person thinks they've travelled back in time for some gunslinging action and gold rush stories, but actually they're in the Tenrec Old West, where tenrec cowboys tend to tenrec cows, vigilantly watching for tenrec wolves.

[@jerosjulianjr.infante7971]

Tenrecina, the world of Tenrecs

[@RootVegetabIe]

​@@jerosjulianjr.infante7971 A Tenric Tale by Ten Tenric

[@arved.jeltsch]

Ha, I really expected to hear the term "adaptive radiation" in this context 😮

[@kinglyzard]

I love divergent and convergent evolution together like this.

[@greensteve9307]

OK, well done to KZbin for recommending this vid. Subscribed.

[@SeaDog337]

I'm calling it right now. Crab Tenrecs.

[@comfortablynumb9342]

So how long until tenrics evolve into crabs?!

[@Frenchylikeshikes]

I'm just amazed at the viodiversity on this planet. I discover animals and plants I had never heard of in my life before all the time.

[@ThatJaymsWisdom]

Still the best channel on KZbin. And today, also the best hair on KZbin.

[@dahemac]

Super nice. Thank you.

[@cicad2007]

Thanks for the video on Tenrics. Never even knew they existed! (Btw, nice blue on your hair). 🙂

[@smoppet]

I showed a picture of the lowland streaked tenrec to my mom once and when she asked, "what's this?" I just said, "me."

[@PaintedDog]

0:52 this Tenrec’s eyes makes it look like Ditto trying to impersonate a hedgehog

[@kevinlasher2812]

Finally, someone from PBS who pronounces niche like "neesh" and not "nitch"! omg I feel so much better now.

[@upcycler]

What a great narrator! Thank you

[@AceofHearth]

Tenrec is a Poison/Fairy Pseudo-Pikachu Pokemon. You can't convince me otherwise.

[@FreedomAnderson]

The “Pikachu clones” are always electric type.

[@AceofHearth]

@@FreedomAnderson I'm talking about Mimikyu and Azumarill line. Neither are electrics. I didn't say Pikachu clones, I said pseudo-pikachu. Pikachu clones are rodents and tenrecs are not rodentss, so at best they would be pseudo-pikachu, not pikachu clones.

[@FreedomAnderson]

@@AceofHearth What does the Azumarill line have to do with Mimikyu? Azumarill is not like Pikachu. Mimikyu is a ghost that wears a costume. It’s actual body does not resemble Pikachu.

[@AceofHearth]

@@FreedomAnderson "For months prior to the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Marill was often referred to as "Pikablu", likely because of its slight resemblance to Pikachu. " It is even referred to as "Pikablu" on the Topps trading cards for the first movie.

[@9The0Unknown7]

Pretty confident that hedgehogs have spines, not quills. Never been stuck by my hedgies, no barbs. Had a porcupine quill stick in my fresh though. Might be wrong…. But my ears caught that.

[@howdy4504]

"They're from Madagascar" Ah, that makes sense. All the weirdos usually hang out there

[@DisheveledSuccess]

Ah yes the Hadel Tenrec 0:58 Hadel sounds intensifying 😂 really neat versatile lil anachronisms

[@jonothanthrace1530]

That first tenrec is what happens when you buy a DIY porcupine and have pieces left over.

[@zoolapin]

tenrecs are the origins of choosing a class in mmorpgs

[@freetalkn657]

That sounds like a real life Eevee.

[@sion8]

I've never heard of these until today! They're like Ditto.

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

When I was a kid Tenrecs were my favourite animal!

[@sydneymomma11]

I just learned about them...3 minutes ago, lol. How neat to know about them for such a long time. Can you share some of your favorite facts?

[@brendanhoffmann8402]

@@sydneymomma11 When I was a kid I had a big encyclopedia of animals with illustrations. It didn't have much info but it was the first time I learned about convergent evolution.

[@scottbubb2946]

When they were handing out niches, the tenrec volunteered for all of them. Aw, man, I made this comment then she said it.

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

These lil weird not-rodents are so cute! Thank you!

[@eljanrimsa5843]

You mean moles, shrews and hedgehogs?

[@user-un8tv1pp8m]

I am loving that hair colour scheme!

[@jeremeybeasley5682]

Crab final form video iconic

[@ste76539]

Thank you for saying the word 'niche' correctly. Every time I hear a KZbinr say "nitch" a little piece of my soul dies. Also, cool hair ;-)

[@jamielandis4606]

This one is really bizarre!

[@Qossuth]

Today I learned about tenrecs. Thanks for that :)

[@alexw.7097]

I now need to look up giant otter shrews??? So many weird animals in this one, even outside of the tenrecs

[@CaritasGothKaraoke]

“…does something no other mammal does: they stridulate.” Me: summons cat by rubbing fingers together. I am, in fact, a mammal.

[@TheJuggtron]

Quick query about the tectonic animation at 2:30, is the Indian plate now not related to the Australian plate?

[@Trollioli]

*a man sneezes in California *Madagascar: SHUT.DOWN. EVERYTHING!

[@MakingtheCase]

So the Tenrecs are basically the real-world versions of Ditto?

[@NekoNinja13]

Her hair is fabulous! 🤩

[@alicearaujo2030]

they're like irl eevees

[@potatoeoverlord9430]

I was distracted and I thought at first they were saying that Tenrecs were a kind of crab, which would be interesting indeed.

[@Brian-od2jg]

Real-life Ditto's. They even got the eyes down.

[@mstie3252]

Tenrecs are the best! I work with a hedgehog tenrec at a zoo, and he is my favorite animal in the entire zoo.

[@seaturtleslastname8286]

Your hair is stunning cant stop staring lmao

[@fslayer1290]

It seems the tenrec is the closest thing to a real life Eevee. 😊

[@wynoglia]

Tenrecs see the drip around them and go "bet"

[@mark6302]

5:26 too much coffee dude

[@jamiebray8532]

Plus Madagascar was a lot closer as well 50 million years ago.

[@michealwestfall8544]

Love your hair.

[@ophanim1245]

How come I've never heard of this thing until now? It's like this animal just popped into existence within the last 3 years. Did CERN make us go through a dimension shift again?

[@Hawkpelt94]

Can you explain the difference between convergent evolution vs parallel evolution for someone who is having a hard time understanding from Google search results?

[@FreedomAnderson]

Convergent evolution is distantly related species, parallel evolution is closely related species.

[@Nobody_Special310]

I'm still waiting on a video of roofication - the way some mice start getting long hind legs and hop about like kangaroos.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

An episode on the Malagasy Carnivorans would pretty cool.

[@notoriousresearcher]

Tenrecs: Gotta converge fast!