Atelerix frontalis (A. Smith, 1831)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6639332 |
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6824259 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038787D0-FFD5-FFC0-FA53-F576F6D17964 |
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Valdenar |
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scientific name |
Atelerix frontalis |
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Southern African Hedgehog
Atelerix frontalis View in CoL
French: Hérisson d’Afrique du Sud / German: Kap-Igel / Spanish: Erizo de Sudéfrica
Other common names: Cape Hedgehog, South African Hedgehog
Taxonomy. Erinaceus frontalis A. Smith, 1831 ,
“South Africa.” Restricted byJ. R. El-
lerman and colleagues in 1953 to “northern parts of the district of Graaff Reinet, Cape Province,” South Africa. Two subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
A.f.frontalisA.Smith,1831—EBotswanaandW&CZimbabweStoSouthA.f.
A. f. angolae Thomas, 1918 — SW Angola and N & C Namibia. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 170-190 mm (males) and 186-210 mm (females), tail 19-30 mm (males) and 19-25 mm (females), ear 20-27 mm (males) and 25-29 mm (females), hindfoot 30-36 mm (males) and 30-35 mm (females); weight 291-479 g (males) and 410-450 g (females). Some Southern African Hedgehogs reared in captivity weighed up to 800 g. It has five digits on hindfeet. Hallux is present but somewhat reduced in size. Upperparts, exceptfor front of head and ears, are covered with dark spines that are mainly white at bases and tips and have central band that is dark brown or black. Width of band varies geographically and produces darker or paler appearance to individuals in different areas. Surfaces of spines are smooth and without papillae. Ventral pelage has non-spiny hairs, dark grayish brown, black, or white, with interspersed black hairs. There is narrow central parting of spines on crown of head, and white band across forehead is well developed and extends below ears. Face mask is black or dark brown and well defined, and it merges with dark throat and chest. Ears are small, rounded, and shorter than adjacent spines. Limbs are short, grayish brown to black. Tail is very short. Dental formulais13/2,C1/1,P 3/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 36.
Habitat. Semiarid and subtemperate scrublands, shrublands, grasslands, rocky areas, city parks, and suburban gardens, with annual summer rainfall of 300-800 mm, ample ground cover, and dry shelters to rest and rear young. The Southern African Hedgehog requires adequate cover of dense grasses or shrubs. It is absent from deserts, marshes, and dense forests.
Food and Feeding. The Southern African Hedgehog is omnivorous and forages in litter and just under the soil surface. Its vision might be poor, and it seems to locate food primarily by scent. It emits loud sniffs as it forages. Diet primarily is invertebrates such as beetles, earwigs, grasshoppers, ants, termites, moths, earthworms, centipedes, millipedes, slugs, and snails, but fruits, fungi, and small vertebrates such as small mammals, eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds, frogs, and lizards also are eaten. It does not seem to be dependent on free water.
Breeding. The Southern African Hedgehog is polygynous. Testosterone levels are high in September—January and low in February—June, and testicular activity resumesat the end of winter (July-August) when individuals are still experiencing bouts of torpor. It hibernates in June-August or September. Nothing is known about breeding season in more arid regions to the south and west. In precopulatory encounters, the male approaches the female who huffs and puffs and jerks her body in rejection, always on the move. During copulation, the female might move about, huffing and puffing, as if trying to get rid of the male who has a bite-hold of quills on her lower back. He thrusts and moves with the female on his hindlegs, his forepaws pushing on her back. His penis appears locked inside the female who might fall over several times, but mating continues while lying on their side. Upon termination of copulation, the female moves off while the male remains behind. Gestation lasts 35-42 days. Young are born during warm-wet summers, usually in October—-March but sometimes as late as April. Females give birth in sheltered nests in debris or in holes lined with dry leaves. The Southern African Hedgehog sometimes uses termitaria for nesting. Males do not participate in parental care. Litters usually have 4-5 young (range 1-10); litters with 8-9 young are common. Sizes of neonates are head-body lengths of 50-53 mm,tail lengths of 4-5 mm, and weights of 9-12 g. Neonates have eyes and ears closed, their body is pink and hairless, and they actively crawl about. Rudimentary spines are visible beneath the skin. Within 1-3 hours after birth, tips of unpigmented spines emerge through the skin. Actively flexing after birth probably assists in forcing quills through the skin. After 2-3 hours, spines average 3-8 mm long. After a day, spines have grown to 4-9-5-5 mm long. In three days, pigmented spines appear, and in seven days, distinctly hedgehog-like appearance is attained, along with characteristic frowning, puffing, and jerking. Eyes open at 10-14 days old. Spines of infants are shed at 4-6 weeks. Weight at weaning is ¢.200 g. Young are weaned and begin to accompany the mother at c.5-6 weeks. Sexual maturity can be reached as soon as 9-10 weeks after birth. Females can become pregnant during their first year so that parturition takes place during favorable summer conditions. One captive Southern African Hedgehog produced a litter at 13 months old. Females can produce more than onelitter each year.
Activity patterns. The Southern African Hedgehog is predominantly nocturnal and usually emerges in evening to forage but exhibits some diurnal activity following rainfall, probably to feed on emerging earthworms. It generally moves about slowly but is capable of remarkable bursts of speed. It rests by day curled up in a ball under matted grass or in leaf litter, rocky crevice, or hole in the ground. Such resting sites are changed daily unless they are being used to rear young or for hibernation. During warm rainy season when food is abundant, it gains weight. In cool, dry winter when availability of food declines and ambient temperatures decrease, the Southern African Hedgehog becomes scarce and burrows into loose sandy soil to hibernate. Hibernation is characterized by low oxygen consumption, low respiratory rate, and lowered body temperature. During this time, fat reserves accumulated in wet season are used to obtain energy. It appears that it can modify length of torpor in response to availability of food and energy. Hibernation is in June-September and is slightly less in northern parts ofits distribution. It remains torpid for up to six weeks at a time and temporarily arouses during warm weather. Torpor ends when temperatures increase in spring. Both sexes can lose c¢.15% of their weight during three months in hibernation.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Southern African Hedgehog is usually solitary but can be in pairs while foraging and during breeding. Aggressive behavior includes head butting accompanied by vocalizations such as snuffling, snorting, and growling. Alarm call is high-pitched screech. Dorsal spines are effective means of defense when accompanied by rolling into a ball with head, limbs, and soft ventral surface in the center. A Lion (Panthera leo) was observed rolling a balled Southern African Hedgehog between its paws and trying to bite it; it escaped and apparently was unharmed. The Southern African Hedgehog engagesin self-anointing behavior.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Southern African Hedgehog is considered rare in South Africa, and populations have declined because of popularity as a pet, use as food by humans, mortalities on roadways, use of domestic and agricultural pesticides (these kill prey), climate changes, and loss
of habitats to changing land-use in urban, suburban, and agricultural developments. Generally, the Southern African Hedgehog is beneficial as a predator of invertebrate pests.
Bibliography. Apps (2012), Beer (2003), van der Colf & van Aarde (1992), Dippenaar & Baxter (2013a), Ellerman et al. (1953), Gillies et al. (1991), Hallam & Mzilikazi (2011), Hill & Carter (1941), Hutterer (2005a), Jacobsen (1982), Kingdon (1974a), Kok & Van Ee (1989), Maberly (1967), Nowak (1999), Rautenbach (1982), Reeve (1994), Rowe-Rowe (1974), Shortridge (1934), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Smithers (1983).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
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