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The desert hedgehog, as its name suggests, inhabits desert and arid scrub, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. To that end, it needs a number of adaptations to help it survive these harsh conditions.

Firstly, it is a nocturnal animal, hunting for food at night time. This helps it to keep cool. During the day, the desert hedgehog stays within a small burrow that it digs to avoid the heat.

Naturally, being a desert animal, it must feed on what is readily available in the desert environment. it is particularly fond of scorpions, from which it nips off the stinger before consuming. It also eats other invertebrates, baby snakes, and birds' eggs. Its kidneys are specially adapted so that it can go for long periods of time without needing to drink water.

The desert hedgehog is covered with tiny, sharp spines. When the desert hedgehog is threatened by danger, its muscles contract (tighten) and pull the skin taut around its body. This enables it to roll into a ball so that its spines will stick out in all directions, providing a very effective, protective covering.

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12y ago

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