Mammals · Eulipotyphla · Erinaceidae

Desert Hedgehog

Paraechinus aethiopicus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The desert hedgehog is a medium-sized hedgehog adapted to the arid environments of the Sahara and Arabia, with medium-sized ears and a bare patch on the crown that divides the spines in two. It is strictly nocturnal and spends the day in burrows or under vegetation. It feeds on insects, scorpions, spiders, eggs and small vertebrates, and can survive long periods without food by entering a state of torpor when heat or scarcity press.

Weight

280 g – 510 g

Size

14 cm – 28 cm

Lifespan

7 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Desert Mammal

33countries 4parks5same family

Fun facts

It hunts scorpions with a precise technique: it first tears off the sting and then eats them, and it is also partly resistant to the venom of several desert species.
It can go weeks without food by entering torpor, an ability that lets it ride out the driest spells of the Saharan summer without leaving the burrow.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Wadis, oases, gravel plains and shrub deserts of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
Sexual maturity: 9 months
Gestation / incubation: 37 days
Litter / clutch size: 3

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraechinus_aethiopicus