birth, a pregnant female will use her snout as a spade to clear away a depression in the ground within the burrow. The Streaked tenrec will flaunt its quails to scare away any possible predators. When forced to engage another species it will use a rough headbutt in an attempt to immobilize its target. Diet The lowland streaked tenrec is active both during the day and at night. Its diet is made up primarily of earthworms, but it will sometimes prey on other invertebrates as well. It may be seen stamping its feet on the ground with its fore-paws, an adaptation which is believed to increase earthworm activity for easier foraging. Most tenrecs possess a long snout for poking around in the ground to find their food. They are also capable of eating fruit. While the streaked tenrec does eat earthworms, the dirt may corrode their teeth with scratches and pits. Reproduction Breeding takes place during October to December and possibly at other times, depending upon local food supply and temperature. The gestation period lasts 58 days, and the female gives birth to usually between 5 and 8 young. The young are weaned at 18 to 25 days. These tenrecs on average retain the ability to conceive at about 35 days. They have the ability to reproduce during the same season they were produced. Shelter The streaked tenrec lives in long, shallow burrows which are usually occupied by family groups. Spines as tools H. semispinosus has hard keratinous quills located in the mid-dorsal region that act as a sounding device and are thought to be used for communication between mother and young and/or a warning signal to predators. Movement of these quills causes the tips to rub together and create a high frequency sound. These quills are located in a small area of the mid-dorsal region in a group of seven to sixteen arranged in three rows. Five quills run laterally on each side and is flanked by five to six quills being light brown in color. The arrangement and number of quills does not alter during growth and neither does the length. The circumference of the quills however, does change from juvenile to adult. When an individual is aggravated a defense response is produced by erecting its quills laterally and forward which produces sound when the quills vibrate. H. semispinosus has a highly developed sense of smell and this