Common Name: Long-eared desert hedgehog

Scientific Name: Hemiechinus auritus

Description: These small insectivores are dorsally covered with short, sharp spines with a fur covered underside. The spines are usually banded brown and white. Long ears protrude from its face and snout. An outer muscle layer draws the spines like a drawstring bag over the vulnerable belly forming a sphere of spines. Weight around 250 g.

Range: Northern Africa through the Middle East into China and Mongolia.

Habitat: Steppe climates

Diet: Officially insectivores but diet is omnivorous. Hedgehogs possess a natural resistance to many toxins allowing them to eat creatures with chemical defenses like wasps and bees, even venomous snakes. The hedgehog is up to forty-five times as resistant to viper venom as a comparably sized guinea pig. It requires one tenth of a gram of cantharidin to kill one hedgehog. This amount, however, will kill up to twenty humans. They may also survive extended periods without food or water.

Social Life: Hedgehogs live predominantly solitary lives. Young are born in litters of one to six after a 40 day gestation. Young are born with soft spines under a protective film. Spines harden soon after birth.

Conservation: This species is currently not listed as threatened.

Recommended LINKS & BOOKS

England's famous hedgehog hospital: St. Tiggywinkles

Dr. David Macdonald's Encyclopedia of Mammals is one of the great standards for mammal information including the hedgehogs. Purchase it through Amazon.com by clicking on the photo to help the zoo!

Walker's Mammals of the World Although the photos are mixed quality black and white, this two volume set has great text.