Tenrics and Spines
If you ever find yourself down Madagascar way, you will encounter a passel of fascinating and unique critters. Just keep a safe distance from Komodo dragons, more about them tomorrow. You may be able to get close to the lowland streaked tenrec , but avoid those pointed spines. Credit: Flickr / Frank Vassen ( CC by 2.0 ) Some folks make pets out of these beasties, but they only live about three years at the most. Although they look a bit like porcupines, they are not in the same classification. (There's a bit of a resemblance to the hedgehog as well.) Biologists are unsure how to classify tenrecs, and creationists think that perhaps they belong to their own created kind . What is probably the most interesting feature of tenrecs is the way they use their spines. Not just for defensive purposes, but the Creator built in a unique method of communication that no other mammal is known to have. Lowland streaked tenrecs are found in and around the rainforests of eastern Madagasca