Four-toed hedgehog
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| Atelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841) |
The four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), or African pygmy hedgehog, is a small species of hedgehog found throughout much of the south-Saharan African countries, from Senegal and Mauritania in the west, to Sudan in the east, and it has been recorded as far south as Zambia. Populations tend to be scattered between suitable savannah or cropland habitats, avoiding forested areas. The species common name is derived from the number of toes found on their rear feet. Due to their extensive range and stable wild population, the species holds no particular conservation status.
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[edit] Physical description
Four-toed hedgehogs are oval bodied animals between 15 and 25cm in length and weigh between 350 and 700 grams. Females are typically larger than males. They have short legs, long noses, and small beady eyes. They can vary greatly in coloration, but typical wild specimins have brown or grey spines with white or cream colored tips. They have soft fur on their underbelly and their faces. Their faces usually exhibit a darker coloration, grey or black, or be the same color as their underside, which is typically white.
[edit] Behaviour
Four-toed hedgehogs are solitary, nocturnal animals. They are highly energetic, sometimes covering miles of ground in a single night as they forage for insects, grubs, snails, spiders, some plant matter, and even small vertebrates. They have a high tolerance for toxins and have been recorded consuming scorpions and even venomous snakes. When encountering a predator their standard defensive reaction is to tense up all the muscles on their back to cause their spines to stand erect, and then roll into a ball protecting their limbs and head. If they are harassed further, they will twitch in an attempt to jab spines into the predator and make snuffling/grunting noises. Their spines are not released into the skin of an attacker, as those of a porcupine. In fact, hedgehogs don't lose quills during adulthood except for very rarely- heavy quill loss is usually a warning sign as to the animal's health.
When four-toed hedgehogs are introduced to a new or particularly strong smell, they will sometimes do what is referred to as self-anointing. They create a frothy saliva and spread it onto their quills in incredible amounts. It is not really understood why they do this, but it is thought to be a defensive action, as hedgehogs have been known to self-anoint with poisonous toads.
This species tends to prefer temperatures between 24 and 30 °C. When it is hotter than that they tend to find shelter in a burrow and go into a state of estivation, or when its colder they go into a state of hibernation. They don't do so on a regular schedule, only when the conditions make it necessary to conserve energy.
[edit] Reproduction
Female four-toed hedgehogs do not go into estrus at any particular time of year, they will ovulate when the conditions are right and there is a male present - which is typically during the rainy season when food is abundant. Males approach the female and court her with high pitched vocalizations. Gestation lasts approximately 35 days. The young are born covered in a thin membrane to protect the mother from their already present spines, though it takes them some time to gain control over the muscles that move them. Litter size is usually around 3 or 4, but they are capable of having upwards of 8 at a time. The babies are weaned by 6 weeks and leave the mother not long after, becoming sexually mature at 2-3 months of age. Females generally have 1-2 litters per year.
[edit] In captivity
The four-toed hedgehog is one of the most popular species of domesticated hedgehog sold in the exotic pet trade. They are bred extensively for color and temperament and are even displayed in competitive hedgehog shows. Lifespan is typically 4-6 years. Due to their energetic nature, many owners provide their hedgehog with a large running wheel. Some measure the distances their pets run every night, and some have claimed that their hedgehogs run upwards of eight km a night with speed bursts in excess of 16 km/h. When kept in captivity, at more regulated temperatures, they do not typically display their estivation or hibernation behaviour. Due to the large amount of breeding stock available in captive collections, four-toed hedgehogs are rarely imported from the wild any longer. Several US and Canadian localities ban ownership of this species, or require special permits for them. Hedgehogs are generally hardy animals when kept properly, though they may be vulnerable to the growth of tumors as they mature.
[edit] References
- Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Atelerix albiventris. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
