Paraechinus aethiopicus (Ehrenberg, 1832)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6639332 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6639340 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038787D0-FFD6-FFC1-FA89-FCE9FCC57823 |
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treatment provided by |
Valdenar |
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scientific name |
Paraechinus aethiopicus |
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Desert Hedgehog
Paraechinus aethiopicus View in CoL
French: Hérisson du désert / German: Athiopischer Igel / Spanish: Erizo del desierto
Other common names: Ethiopian Hedgehog
Taxonomy. FErinaceus aethiopicus Ehren- berg, 1833 View in CoL ,
“in desertis dongalanis habi- tat.” Interpreted by G. B. Corbet in 1988 as
“Dongola Desert, Sudan” and restricted by
D. R. Frost and colleagues in 1991 to “approximately at 19°22’N, 30°45’E,” northern Sudan.
Paraechinus aethiopicus might be polytypic, but subspecific taxonomy requires reassessment. Monotypic.
Distribution. Sahara Desert from Mauritania E to Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea, WC Ethiopia (Awash), and deserts in Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Arabian Peninsula); insular populations on Djerba (Tunisia), Bahrain, and Tunb (Persian Gulf). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 130-240 mm, tail 10-30 mm, ear 23-58 mm, hindfoot 27-39 mm; weight 285-700 g. Dorsal pelage of the Desert Hedgehog has dark spines that are banded, whitish at their bases, with two wide black bands separated by white band, and white tips. Surfaces of spines are rough, with numerous papillae and many longitudinal grooves. Ventral pelage is rather sparse, and hairs are mostly white but can be brown posteriorly or have brown patches on chest in some individuals. Ventral pelage varies geographically in color, which can be variable mix of white, brown, and black, but some individuals have entirely brown venter. Head has broad white forehead from cheek to cheek, wide central parting of spines on crown of head, and welldefined gray-black face mask on muzzle and around eyes that extends posteriorly on lower cheeks. Ears are large, dark, slightly pointed, and usually longer than adjacent spines. Limbs are rather long and dark brown. Feet are black, forefeet have five digits, hindfeet have five digits, and hallux can be slightly reduced. Tail is short, barely visible, and covered with small pale hairs. Dental formulaisI13/2,C1/1,P 2-3/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 34 or 36. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FN = 96.
Habitat. Dry scrublands, dry steppes, stony plains, mountainous desert country, and more mesic habitats such as oases and vegetated riverine valleys in arid and semiarid regions in and around the Sahara and Arabian deserts.
Food and Feeding. The Desert Hedgehog forages at night and primarily is insectivorous. Diet also includes scorpions, other invertebrates, and small vertebrates such as frogs, lizards, snakes, and eggs of ground-nesting birds.
Breeding. Breeding of the Desert Hedgehog begins after hibernation has ended. Females can produce up to four litters each year, with peaks in February-March and June. It nests in clumps of vegetation or uses burrows under shrubs or among rocks. The Desert Hedgehog does not line its nest; a female gave birth to one young in a sand and peat hollow, making no use of hay, wood shavings, and leaves that were available. Gestation lasts 34-46 days. Litters have 2-7 young. Neonates weigh 6-9 g. Weight at ten days of age is 20 g, 20 days is 40 g, 30 days is 60 g, 40 days is 80 g, and 60 daysis 150 g. Rate of growth to six weeks is 1-7 g/day, and it is 3-5 g/day at 6-9 weeks old. Young begin rolling-up for the first time at 7-22 days old, eyes open at 21-22 days,thermoregulation is fully developed, solid foods are eaten at c.38-44 days, and weaning occurs at 40-58 days. Growth to weaning is longer than in other species of hedgehogs. Longevity might be 6-10 years.
Activity patterns. The Desert Hedgehog is usually nocturnal, and it can excavate burrows that have many openings. In Egypt,it forages on the coastal plain at night. During day, it rests in crevices in cliffs, under clumps of vegetation, or in burrows. When nights are cold, and food is less abundant in winter,it enters torpor and is rarely seen. In Algeria, it is torpid in November—-March, but it usually emerges every few days to forage. During winter in Qatar, body temperature was higher than ambient temperature throughout the day, and the difference was more extreme during midday. Desert Hedgehogs bask in direct sunlight, which appears beneficial for thermoregulation in the desert where there is plenty of solar radiation.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Desert Hedgehog is solitary and generally uncommon. Nevertheless,it can be more common in some localities because populations are scattered and isolated. It is relatively abundant in irrigated gardens and fields in parts of its distribution. Long limbs enable fast walking and trotting. One individual was followed at a steady 10 km/h for five minutes. The Desert Hedgehog can be rather sedentary, occupying a single burrow and the same home range all year—behaviors that could be construed as evidence of territoriality. It exhibits self-anointing
behavior. When attacked,it rolls into a ball and makes a noise similar to the throbbing of a miniature engine. Periodically, it gives a sort of half-grunt, half-bark sound.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Desert Hedgehog is reported to be widespread species, with a presumed large population.It is believed to be reasonably tolerant of habitat modification and is not considered globally threatened. Nevertheless, increasing desertification in its distribution is resulting in fragmentation of populations. In Algeria, the Desert Hedgehog is hunted and eaten by humans. In Somaliland, humans are rather superstitious about hedgehogs, never harming them because they consider them stars that have fallen from the heavens.
Bibliography. Abu Baker, Mohedano et al. (2016), Abu Baker, Reeve et al. (2016), Al-Saleh & Khan (1985), Amr (2000), Beer (2003), Bhatnagar & EI-Azawi (1978), Brodie (1977), Corbet (1988), Delany & Farook (1989), Drake-Brockman (1910), Eisentraut (1952), Frost et al. (1991), Happold (2013e), Harrison & Bates (1991), Hayssen et al. (1993), Heuglin (1861), Hufnagl (1972), Hutterer (2005a), Nader & Al-Safadi (1993), Nowak (1999), Osborn & Helmy (1980), Petter (1954), Qumsiyeh (1996), Reeve (1994), Sellami et al. (1989), Stone (1995b), Thomas (1919), Walton & Walton (1973), Yamaguchi et al. (2013).
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