Insectivores – Animals that feed on insects.
Shrew – Earliest primitive eutherians and unchanged from cretaceous time. Terrestrial and nocturnal animals feeding on insects and worms. Eyes and ears are small. They have a higher rate of metabolism than other mammals. They cannot live without food for more than 10 hours. Because of great expenditure of energy, shrews consume twice daily as much food as their weight. House shrew (Suncus murinus) comes into houses at night in search of insects. Pygmy shrew (Pachura perrotteti) is the smallest mammals of the world. I is reported in the Chitwan National park. Water shrew (Chimarrogate Platycephala) lives in clear streamlet and eats aquatic insects. Elephant shrew found in shrubland and eats insects found in its trail.
Mole (Talpa) - Moles are related to shrew and are specialized in subterranean burrowing life. They lives underground digging long tunnels rapidly and never come to the surface. They have remarkable sense of touch and feed on insects and worm. Golden Mole of Namabian desert hunts insects – termites. Star-nose mole hunts insect under water. It has 22 fleshy arms (lips) surrounding its mouth.
Hedge Hogs (Fromaceis) – Dorsal side hairs are modified to form sharp, outwardly projecting spines; the ventral side has soft fur. The animals roll up into a ball when in danger. The spines cover the head and trail. It is nocturnal and feed on insects. Hibernate in winter. Due to presence of spines, it searches insects without the danger of its enemy.
Armadillo (Dasypus, ord.Edentata) – Nocturnal and fossorial in habit. Found in central and South America. Head is short, broad and depressed. There is a long protractible tongue for feeding on insects. It can roll into a ball for defense.
Scaly Anteater or Pangolin (Ord. Pholidota – Manis pentadactyla and M. aurrita). Burrowing and nocturnal in habit. It can roll up into a ball when threatened. Feed on ants and termites with help of long protrusible sticky tongue. Teeth absent. Limbs are short and strong. Fore limbs have long curved claws for opening ant and termite hills. Scales protects the animals from biting of the insects.
Gaint Anteater (Myremecophage ord. Edentata) –Found in South America. Over 6 feet in length and covered with coarse hair. It has a very bushy tail. Head is long and narrow. Nose at the tip mouth. No teeth and tongue very sticky and protrusible. Forelimbs are very powerful and provided with long curved sharp claws. Claws are used for diggin ant hills and for defense.
Bats - Insectivorous bats belongs to suborder Microptera. 4 Families in Nepal (Viz. Rhinolophidae - Horse-shoe bats, Megadermatidae –Indian vampires, Vespertilionidae, and Emballonuridae – sheath tailed bats. They are nocturnal. Pinna is large and very sensitive to sound. Hunt insect in dark by echolocation Noses are very sensitive to vibration of the objects.
