This order was created from molecular data alone. It owes its name to the exclusively African geographical origin of the species belonging to it. The group includes tenrecs, otter shrews, shrew tenrecs and golden moles. Each of the families has morphological characteristics that distinguish them from each other. Generally speaking, they are terrestrial animals. The mammal record for the number of young in a litter is held in this group, with 31 young in the tailless tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus), displayed here in the display case.