This species is mainly insectivorous, but it eats a variety of foods when they are available. It is not, however, thought to eat plant matter. One other interesting note is that P. aethiopicus, like other hedgehogs, has a high tolerance for snake and insect venoms, estimated to be 30 to 40 times that of a similar sized rodent. This protects them while hunting venomous or stinging prey.
Prey include: insects, small invertebrates, the eggs of ground-nesting birds, frogs, snakes and scorpions.
Animal Foods: amphibians; reptiles; eggs; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
The spines of this species, and other hedgehogs, are the main tool for escaping predators. It tucks its head into its ventral region and effectively rolls into a ball. This exposes only its spines to a potential predator, making it difficult to eat.
Known Predators:
Paraechinus aethiopicus carries an armament of dorsal spines from the base of its head to its rear, leaving the top of its head bald. These spines are hollow and pale brown with dark tips. The color of the ventral side and feet is a variable combination of brown, black, white, solid brown or solid white. The muzzle and mask are black with lighter bands on the forehead. Paraechinus aethiopicus is larger than the other species of hedghog that shares its region, Hemiechinus auritus, but quite similar otherwise.
Range mass: 400 to 700 g.
Range length: 140 to 230 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Typically, the lifespan of a hedgehog in the wild is 3-4 years. In captivity they have been known to live as long as 10 years. The lifespan of this particular species, however, has not been documented.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 4.5 years.
Paraechinus aethiopicus is well adapted to arid, drought-like conditions. It lives in hot, dry deserts but can also be found in vegetated areas of an oasis or coast.
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune
This species is found widely throughout much of northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Its range extends all over the Sahara from Morocco to Egypt to Syria and Iraq.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
The role that this species plays in its desert ecosystem is not well studied.
Hedgehogs may help to control pest populations through their predation on insects and other invertebrates.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
There are no adverse effects of P. aethiopicus on humans.
By all accounts, this species is not endangered and is, in fact, quite common in some parts of its range.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
The phylogeny of this species has been disputed. It is sometimes classified in the genus Hemiechinus and sometimes in the genus Paraechinus. Up to five subspecies have been recognized. Hedgehogs have become a fairly common pet in North America and Europe; however, the common pet hedgehog is actually a hybrid of two other African species, not Paraechinus aethiopicus.
The reproductive pattern of this species is not well documented, but it is known that not all of the offspring of a litter survive to adolesence. Some die soon after birth, and it has been reported that females sometimes cannibalize their young, probably in times of food shortage.
Breeding season: May to June
Range number of offspring: 2 to 7.
Average gestation period: 30 to 40 days.
Average weaning age: 40 days.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal )
Deaf and blind, a young P. aethiopicus is born fairly helpless. It is born with its spines for some protection; however, during the actual birth the spines remain under the skin, which no doubt makes labor easier on the mother. The young weigh about 8 or 9 grams at birth, and their eyes open in 23-29 days. After about 40 days they begin eating solid food (in addition to mother's milk).
Parental Investment: altricial ; female parental care
The desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae.
The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is 5.5 to 11 inches (140 to 280 mm) long and weighs about 10 to 18 ounces (280 to 510 g). The quills (or spines to give their correct name) on its back can be banded with coloring similar to the four-toed hedgehog. It is usually identified by its dark muzzle. If desert hedgehogs are threatened, their muscles go tight and pull the outer layer of skin around the body, making their quills stick out in all directions. The quills tend to be longer than other hedgehogs for better protection against predation. As such it is extremely difficult to catch one.
It is found in Bahrain, Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and possibly Ethiopia.
Breeding begins in March, after hibernation has ended. The female desert hedgehog gives birth to up to six young, in a burrow or concealed nest, after a gestation period of around 30 to 40 days. The young are born deaf and blind, and with the quills located just under the skin, to prevent damage to the female during birth. The quills emerge within a few hours, and the eyes open after around 21 days. The young desert hedgehogs are weaned after about 40 days. There is thought to be single litter each year.
The desert hedgehog is reported to be a common species with a wide distribution and a large population. It is believed to be reasonably tolerant of habitat modification, and is not considered globally threatened. No major threats are reported for the species, although some note that increasing desertification within its range may be leading to the fragmentation of its populations, and in some areas it may suffer increased mortality due to road traffic. The Desert hedgehog is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis saudi.[2]
The desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae.