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HEDGEHOG
- Atelerix frontalis |
SIZE: Length 20 cm, mass 350 g.
COLOUR: Brown and white spines on upper part of body,
including flanks; grey-brown to dark brown hairs on
head, limbs and tail. A band of white hair is across
the forehead. The underparts vary from off-white to
black.
GESTATION PERIOD: approx. 35 days
MOST LIKE: Occasionally confused with the Porcupine
although the hedgehog's brownish colour, small size
and short spines easily distinguish it from the much
larger, long-spined, black and white porcupine.
HABITAT: A wide variety of habitats providing dry
soil and dry cover for daytime shelter. A plentiful
supply of insects, worms and roots is essential.
<< Image credit: Joseph & Uschi Pomerleau
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Hedgehogs search for food after dark, and locate their
food by smell and hearing rather than sight. The hedgehog
can eat up to one third of its weight every day. Its diet
consists of worms and insects, small rodents, frogs, slugs,
the eggs and young of ground nesting birds, and vegetable
matter which includes roots and fruit. Hedgehogs can sometimes
be seen after rain foraging for earthworms. Their resting
time is mostly in daylight, when they curl up under cover
of bush or grass or in a hole in the ground. They change
shelter daily, except when the colder months come, as they
hibernate during that time, only emerging to eat during
warm spells. Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, and communicate
in a series of grunts and snuffles. When alarmed, they emit
a high-pitched cry. Although they generally move slowly,
they are capable of moving quickly by rising high on their
long legs. Usually litter size is two to four (although
it has been known to reach 11), and the young are born during
the summer months.
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DISTRIBUTION
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Southern African Hedgehog is a small, nocturnal animal covered
in short, prickly spines. Their faces, limbs and tails are covered
with dark brown or greyish-brown hair. When in danger, they
roll into a ball, and are then safe from most predators: a notable
exception to this is the eagle owl, whose long, sharp talons
are more than a match for the hedgehogs short spines. |
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WILDLIFE
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RESERVES
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THIS SPECIES
IS FOUND: |
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