Paraechinus
''Paraechinus'' is a genus of hedgehogs. Members are small and nocturnal. The genus contains four species from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia: * Desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') * Brandt's hedgehog (''Paraechinus hypomelas'') * Indian hedgehog The Indian hedgehog (''Paraechinus micropus'') is a species of hedgehog native to India and Pakistan. It mainly lives in sandy desert areas but can be found in other environments. Description The Indian hedgehog can be compared to the long-eare ... (''Paraechinus micropus'') * Bare-bellied hedgehog (''Paraechinus nudiventris'') Locomotory activity patterns The locomotory activity of the Desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') occurred during the dark phases of both long and short day cycles. Therefore this species is considered nocturnal. The ''Paraechinus hypomelas hypomelas'' is distributed throughout mainland Iran to the western side of the Indus River in Pakistan, suggesting the presence of a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Indian Hedgehog
The Indian hedgehog (''Paraechinus micropus'') is a species of hedgehog native to India and Pakistan. It mainly lives in sandy desert areas but can be found in other environments. Description The Indian hedgehog can be compared to the long-eared hedgehog (''Hemiechinus auritus'') which has a similar lifestyle and appearance. It is known for its masked face, dark with a white top, somewhat similar to a raccoon. It is relatively small with the adult male weighing about 435 grams and the adult female about 312. They are quite fast, although not as fast as the long-eared hedgehog. Its color is predominantly brown with a few lighter shades of brown. The tail is only about 2-4 centimeters long. It has a stocky body with a short head, a long snout, small, dark eyes, and relatively large ears. Its legs are a gray-brown color with 5 digits on each and small but strong claws. Hedgehogs are protected species under Schedule IV of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, Wildlife Protection Act (1972). ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paraechinus Nudiventris
The bare-bellied hedgehog (''Paraechinus nudiventris''), also known as the Madras hedgehog, is a species of hedgehog that is endemic to dry arid regions and scrubby jungles in southeastern India. As it was believed to be rare, it was formerly listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. It is now known to be locally common in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu , mostly in Erode and Tirupur, resulting in its new listing as a species of Least Concern. Hedgehogs are protected species under schedule IV of Wildlife Protection Act (1972). It was also found in Kottayam and Palakkad districts of Kerala. Madras hedgehogs are hunted locally in India for subsistence food and medicinal purposes. They are wildly perceived to be a cure for tuberculosis and asthma, as well as offer relief against coughs. Characteristics The bare-bellied hedgehog has a head to body length , a short tail of , and weighs . It reaches sexual maturity in about 10 months and gives birth to 4-6 young per li ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paraechinus Aethiopicus
The desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae. Description The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest hedgehogs. It is long and weighs about . The spines on its back can be banded with coloring similar to the four-toed hedgehog. It is usually identified by its dark muzzle. If desert hedgehogs are threatened, their muscles go tight and pull the outer layer of skin around the body, making their quills stick out in all directions. The spines have been theorized to aid in defense, but research has shown that this is likely incidental. Rather, the spines do not break in the manner of porcupine quills, but instead bend. The spines are also able to absorb mechanical energy, providing protection from fall damage. Distribution The desert hedgehog occurs in Bahrain, Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hedgehogs
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. However, the extinct genus '' Amphechinus'' was once present in North America. Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews (family Soricidae), with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life. Their spiny protection resembles that of porcupines, which are rodents, and echidnas, a type of monotreme. Etymology The name ''hedgehog'' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the Middle English , from , , because it frequents hedgerows, and , , from its piglike snout. Other names that are used are ''urchin'' and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Desert Hedgehog
The desert hedgehog (''Paraechinus aethiopicus'') is a species of mammal in the family Erinaceidae. Description The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest hedgehogs. It is long and weighs about . The spines on its back can be banded with coloring similar to the four-toed hedgehog. It is usually identified by its dark muzzle. If desert hedgehogs are threatened, their muscles go tight and pull the outer layer of skin around the body, making their quills stick out in all directions. The spines have been theorized to aid in defense, but research has shown that this is likely incidental. Rather, the spines do not break in the manner of porcupine quills, but instead bend. The spines are also able to absorb mechanical energy, providing protection from fall damage. Distribution The desert hedgehog occurs in Bahrain, Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hedgehogs
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. However, the extinct genus '' Amphechinus'' was once present in North America. Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews (family Soricidae), with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life. Their spiny protection resembles that of porcupines, which are rodents, and echidnas, a type of monotreme. Etymology The name ''hedgehog'' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the Middle English , from , , because it frequents hedgerows, and , , from its piglike snout. Other names that are used are ''urchin'' and ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Paraechinus Hypomelas
Brandt's hedgehog (''Paraechinus hypomelas'') is a species of desert hedgehog native to parts of the Middle East and Central Asia. Its common name derives from its having first been described by Johann Friedrich von Brandt, a director of the Zoological Department at the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Description Brandt's hedgehog is approximately the size of the West European hedgehog (about in weight and in length), but has distinctively large ears (similar to the long-eared hedgehog), and is a much faster runner, due to lighter needle protection. Unlike the long-eared hedgehog, however, it is predominantly nocturnal. The first and only study of the Brandt's hedgehog histological skin characteristics found three layers of skin the epidermis, dermis and hypodermis; while previous studies of other hedgehogs sited only two. Habitat Brandt's hedgehog prefers arid desert areas and mountains. It often uses natural shelter, although it is still capable of digging dens when abs ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants of an ancestral taxon are grouped together (i.e. Phylogeneti ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |