Algerian hedgehog
The North African hedgehog (Atelerix algirus ) is a mammal species in the family Erinaceidae. Little is known about this hedgehog, even though the most common breed of domesticated hedgehogs is a result of crossing a Four-toed hedgehog with a North African hedgehog. Because this species of hedgehog is native to Africa, it has been suggested that it was introduced by humans to the other countries where it is now found, including Spain and the Canary Islands. Of the four African hedgehog species, the North African hedgehog is the only one of these hedgehogs that occurs outside Africa.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Om
OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Vi
ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Bu
BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
So
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
Ae
AestivationAestivation is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is chara...
N
starts withNorth African hedgehogs closely resemble the European hedgehog but there are several distinct differences between the two species. North African hedgehogs tend to be smaller than their European counterparts. However, they are larger than the other African species of hedgehogs and have a longer snout and longer legs, making them faster runners. Their faces are light in color, usually appearing to be white, and their legs and heads are brown. The underbelly of these animals can vary in color and is often either brown or white. Their ears are highly visible on the head of the animal and are large. The body is covered in soft spines, which are mostly white with darker banding. They are most distinguishable from physically similar relatives by the lack of spines on the crown of the head, meaning a lack of the widow's peak.
North African hedgehogs are native to Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Spain, and Malta. They inhabit Mediterranean conifer and mixed forest climates as are present in southern mountainous regions, semi-deserts, grasslands, shrublands, cultivated areas, gardens, and parks.
North African hedgehogs are solitary and nocturnal creatures. They feed at night and may cover up to 8 km (5 miles) distance in a night. When the temperatures get too high, North African hedgehogs will hide in their shelters and aestivate. These small animals have many predators and when feeling threatened they roll into a spiny ball making their quills point in all different directions; this way they hope to deter predators. Hedgehogs sometimes perform a ritual called anointing. When the animal encounters a new scent, it will lick and bite the source, then form a scented froth in its mouth and paste it on its spines with its tongue. The purpose of this habit is unknown, but some experts believe anointing camouflages the hedgehog with the new scent of the area and provides a possible poison or source of infection to predators poked by their spines. When they need to communicate with each other, North African hedgehogs make hisses or snorts.
North African hedgehogs have an omnivorous diet. They eat various insects, worms, snails, eggs, small mammals, frogs, small birds, carrion, reptiles, fruit, fungi, and roots.
North African hedgehogs do not mate for life and do not form pair bonds. After the gestation period of 30 to 40 days, females give birth to a litter of 3-10 hoglets. Two litters are often born in a season from October to March. The hoglets are born with hairless, pinkish skin as well as small, soft spines, which are later shed once the hedgehog acquires its harder, stiffer set of quills; this usually occurs at around 4 weeks of age. The young are weaned 6 weeks after birth and become reproductively mature when they are 8 to 10 weeks old.
North African hedgehogs are not threatened at present, but they suffer from habitat loss and road mortality.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the North African hedgehog total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.
