Home range and shelter site selection in the greater hedgehog tenrec in the dry deciduous forest of Western Madagascar

Information on the spatial distribution and habitat use of the T enrecidae ( S upraorder: A frotheria) of M adagascar are severely lacking. Here, we present the first data available on home range size, as well as further data on population distribution and rest site selection of a large tenrec, the greater hedgehog tenrec ( S etifer setosus ). Data were collected over two rainy seasons in the dry deciduous woodland of W estern M adagascar, in A nkarafantsika N ational P ark. Home ranges were surprisingly large for a 200–300‐g animal: males had an average home range (95% minimum convex polygon) of 13.7 ± 4.9 ha ( n = 5), and females of 6.7 ± 2.0 ha ( n = 5). A high overlap between multiple individuals of the opposite sex supports a promiscuous mating system for this species. Daytime shelter sites proved to be highly variable and differed between sex and reproductive status.