Desert Hedgehog

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Desert Hedgehog

Conservation status

Least Concern

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Erinaceomorpha
Family:	Erinaceidae
Genus:	Paraechinus
Species:	P. aethiopicus

Binomial name

Paraechinus aethiopicus
(Ehrenberg, 1832)

The desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) is a species of mammal in the Erinaceidae family. It is found in the Sahara Desert, Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen, and possibly Ethiopia.

The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is 5 1/2 to 11 inches long and weighs about 10-18 ounces. The spines on its back can be wrinkled or a different color than most. If desert hedgehogs are threatened, their muscles go tight and pull the skin around the body. They freeze and roll into a ball, making their spikes stick out in all directions; making it almost impossible to get to them. Studies show that some hedgehogs have immunity to toxins. They can eat bees, wasps, and some venomous snakes.

[edit] Source

Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. Hemiechinus aethiopicus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 30 July 2007.

v • d • e

Extant Erinaceomorpha species by subfamily

Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria

Erinaceinae

Atelerix	Four-toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) · Algerian Hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) · Southern African Hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis) · Somali Hedgehog (Atelerix sclateri)

Erinaceus	Amur Hedgehog (Erinaceus amurensis) · Southern White-breasted Hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor) · West European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) · Northern White-breasted Hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus)

Hemiechinus	Long-eared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) · Indian Long-eared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris)

Mesechinus	Daurian Hedgehog (Mesechinus dauuricus) · Hugh's Hedgehog (Mesechinus hughi)

Paraechinus	Desert Hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) · Brandt's Hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas) · Indian Hedgehog (Paraechinus micropus) · Bare-bellied Hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventris)

Galericinae

Echinosorex	Greater Moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura)

Hylomys	Long-eared Gymnure (Hylomys megalotis) · Dwarf Gymnure (Hylomys parvus) · Short-tailed Gymnure (Hylomys suillus)

Neohylomys	Hainan Gymnure (Neonylomys hainanensis)

Neotetracus	Shrew Gymnure (Neotetracus sinensis)

Podogymnura	Dinagat Gymnure (Podogymnura aureospinula) · Mindanao Gymnure (Podogymnura truei)