North African Hedgehog

The North African Hedgehog (Atelerix algirus), or Algerian Hedgehog, is a species of mammal in the Erinaceidae family. It is found in Algeria, France, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia. Little is known about this species of hedgehog, even though the most common breed of domesticated hedgehogs is a result of crossing a Four-toed Hedgehog with a North African Hedgehog.Wikipedia.org. Domesticated Hedgehog 12 October 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2007. Because this species of hedgehog is native to Africa, it has been suggested that it was introduced by humans to the other countries where it is now found, including France and Spain (including the Canary Islands). Of the four African species of hedgehogs, the North African Hedgehog is the only one of these hedgehogs that can be found outside the continent of Africa. Because the North African Hedgehog has such a wide habitat range and has a seemingly stable population, both in the wild and in the domesticated capacity, it does not appear to be at risk at this time.

Physical description

The North African Hedgehog closely resembles the West European Hedgehog, however, there are several distinct differences between the two species. The North African Hedgehog tends to be smaller than its European counterpart, measuring anywhere from 200 to 250mm long. However, it is larger than the other African species of hedgehogs and has a longer snout and longer legs,...
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