Indian Hedgehog

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Indian Hedgehog
Conservation status
Least concern (LR/lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Insectivora Family: Erinaceidae Genus: Hemiechinus Species: H. micropus
Binomial name
Hemiechinus micropus (Blyth, 1846)

The Indian Hedgehog (older names may include Paraechinus micropus and Erinaceus micropus, as this hedgehog used to be classfied into Erinaceus genus) is a species of desert hedgehogs native to India and Pakistan. Indian hedgehog is known for his masked face, somewhat similar to a raccoon. Tends to live in on plains and in bushy mountainous areas near water.

Indian hedgehog is relatively small (~200-350 grams, ~15 centimetres) and quite fast, although not as fast as long-eared hedgehog. It also has a more diverse diet with additional food source of frogs, toads, snakes and scorpions. Although it is capable of digging dens, it is highly unlikely to do so. Although Indian hedgehog doesn't hibernate, it is still capable of slowing down his metabolism when food is scarce.

Indian hedgehog is rare species in some of the areas (predominantly mountainous).

[edit] References

• Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Hemiechinus micropus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern