Nomenclature
•Common Name-Hedgehog
•Scientific Name-Atelerix albinventris
•Kingdom-Animilia
•Phylum-Chordata
•Class-Mammals
•Order-Erinaceomorpha
•Family-Erinaceidae
•Genus-Atelerix
•Species-Albiventris
Species Description
The African Pygmy Hedgehog is usually alone, and only interacts with other species of it's kind during mating season. These animals are very territorial and will be very aggressive if their territory is approached. Upon engaging in aggressive activity, the hedgehog will erect it's spines and grunt, hiss, snort, and butt heads with the offending animal. Not only are the hedgehogs spines used for territorial reasons, it works great with defending themselves against predators, it serves as a protective barrier around the animal. The animal will roll into a ball and erect it's spines, so it's whole body is in protected. These animals are primarily nocturnal, but can be active at dawn and dusk. During extreme weather conditions, these hedgehogs will go under ground and live there, and will subsist of body fat until the weather becomes desirable. The noises these animals make are like grunts, hisses and twitters. During mating, males will attract their females by a birdlike call, and the female will responds with hisses, snorts, and evasive movements. Also, these hedgehogs do a very odd action called 'self anointing'; when they discovery a unique smell or taste, they react by creating a frothy type of saliva that they spread all around their body.
This hedgehog is the smallest member of the hedgehog family. It weighs between 1-1.5 pounds, and is about 6-8 inches in length, including their long snout.Hedgehogs vary in color, usually a brown or white color.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Energy
African pygmy hedgehogs are known for eating things such as insects to poisonous scorpions. They will eat plants, or anything they can really get their hands on. They are not picky eaters.They primarily eat insects, but will also eat plants. They have a wide range of consumption, anything that will store fat and keep their body functioning. Their predators include Verreaux eagle owls, honey badgers, jackels, wild dogs.They are not high on the food chain, but aren't frequently consumed due to their protective spikes around their bodies
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Population
Populations tend to be scattered between habitats, avoiding forested areas. Due to its extensive range and stable wild population, the species is rated at least concern by the IUCN. Due to the enviromental conditions in Africa, they sometimes do not survive through extreme weather conditions.
Habitat
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]African Pygmy Hedgehogs reside in central Africa, which is a temperate climate. Which means it is neither hot nor cold most of the time. Seasonally it doesn't change; it is the same all around the year.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]The African Pygmy Hedgehog shares it's environment with the African wild cat, the elephant, baboon, ect.
Evolution
The hedgehog has adapted a very useful characteristic; spikes. In order to defend themselves from a predator they will roll into a ball so their whole body is protected
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Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:31 pm
