Common Name:
African Pygmy Hedgehog / Four-toed Hedgehog
Scientific Name:
A. albiventris
Wild Status:
Least Concern
Habitat:
Grasslands, Savannah
Country:
Various countries across Africa
Shelter:
Burrows
Life Span:
3 years wild, 8-10 in captivity
Size:
5-8 inches long
Cool Facts:
- Born with spines, skin covers spines to protect the mother.
- Can detect prey from 2 inches underground.
- When they notice a new or strong smell, they create frothy saliva that spreads to their spines. Thought to be a defense mechanism which is done when nervous.
- Will also tense up their muscles and curl up in a ball to protect their head & belly as a defense mechanism.
- Short legs, short tail, long nose, and small beady eyes.
- Females are typically larger than males.
- Also commonly known as the "four-toed hedgehog" because of the amount of toes on their back feet.
- Their main predators are birds of prey, jackals, honey badgers, and hyenas.
Details:
The African Pygmy Hedgehog is an adorable mammal found across a wide area of central Africa. They avoid forests and swampland, and actually prefer to live in open grassy, or dry & rocky areas. They are omnivores that tend to eat small insects & arachnids...and they actually have a high tolerance for toxins - African Pygmy Hedgehog's have been known to eat scorpions and even small venomous snakes! Making good use of their anatomy, their main form of defense is to curl up into a ball, protecting their soft areas and harming predators with their spikes. They are a fairly common domesticated hedgehog found in the pet trade, but remember these little guys are very energetic - a large hamster wheel or similar plaything gives them a great way to exercise and have fun!
Taxonomic Breakdown:
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Erinaceomorpha Family: Erinaceidae Genus: Atelerix Species: A. albiventris