Hemiechinus auritus
SUBFAMILY
Erinaceinae
TAXONOMY
Hemiechinus auritus (Gmelin, 1770), Astrakhan, south Russia. Formerly in Erinaceus. Includes H. a. megalotis, regarded by some as a separate species.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Hérisson à longues oreilles; German: Großohrigel; Spanish: Erizo de orejas largas.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Head and body length: 6.6–12 in (17–30 cm), tail: 0.6–2 in (1.5–5.5 cm); weight: 8.4–17.5 oz (240–500 g). Long legs and large, mobile ears. Spines are grooved.
DISTRIBUTION
Northeastern Africa, the Middle East and central Asia from northern Libya to the Gobi desert of northern China and Mongolia and including steppe and desert regions of Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, western states of the former Soviet Union and Pakistan. The Gobi population is apparently isolated from the west by the Altai mountains.
HABITAT
Semidesert, arid grassland and montane steppe up to 8,200 ft (2,500 m), also frequents parks and gardens in suburban areas.
BEHAVIOR
Nocturnal and solitary, generally non-aggressive; will dig own burrow where alternative ready-made dens are not available. Hibernates in parts of range where winters are cold, elsewhere may enter facultative torpor during periods of drought or food shortage; self-anoints when encountering certain trigger substances.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Insects and other invertebrates, also some small vertebrate prey, fruit and seeds. Can survive prolonged periods without eating or drinking.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Polygynous. Breeding occurs in spring and summer, hibernating individuals mate soon after waking up. Gestation lasts 35–42 days, litter size varies from 1 to 6 (usually 2 to 3 in the Gobi, 5 to 6 in western temperate areas). Weans at 5 weeks, may be sexually mature at 6 weeks. Maximum recorded longevity 6 years.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened; common and widespread.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Occasionally eaten as bushmeat, no real significance.
