Southern African hedgehog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern African hedgehog |
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The Southern African hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis) is a small, spiny mammal found in parts of southern Africa. These cute creatures are known for their sharp spines that cover most of their bodies. They live in countries like Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
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About the Southern African Hedgehog
Southern African hedgehogs are covered in sharp spines, except for their faces, bellies, and ears. These spines are made of a strong material, similar to your fingernails, and each one has a tiny muscle. The parts of their body not covered by spines have soft fur.
These hedgehogs are usually dark brown. Their spines are often white at the bottom and dark brown at the tip. They have pointed snouts and their bellies can be white or brown. A grown hedgehog is about 20 cm (7.9 in) long and weighs around 350 g (12 oz). A special feature of this hedgehog is a white stripe that usually runs across its forehead, from one side to the other.
Hedgehog Behavior
Southern African hedgehogs are usually slow movers. But if they feel in danger, they can run surprisingly fast, up to 6 to 7 km/h (3.7 to 4.3 mph)!
During the day, these hedgehogs like to stay hidden. They rest in places covered with plants or inside holes in the ground. When they sleep or feel threatened, they curl up into a tight ball. This protects them with their sharp spines.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. This is when they come out to search for food. In winter, Southern African hedgehogs go into a special kind of sleep called hibernation. During this time, they can change their body temperature to save energy and survive the cold.
Hedgehog Reproduction and Life Cycle
Mating season for Southern African hedgehogs is usually in the summer. After about 35 days, the mother hedgehog gives birth to her babies, mostly between October and March. A mother can have anywhere from 1 to 11 babies at once, but usually, she has about four.
Newborn hedgehogs are tiny, weighing around 10 g (0.35 oz). They are born without fur and cannot see. They have soft baby spines at birth, which they lose after about a month. Then, their adult spines grow in.
Baby hedgehogs open their eyes about two weeks after they are born. They start looking for food with their mother when they are about six weeks old. Hedgehogs can have several litters of babies in one year. Young hedgehogs can start having their own babies when they are about 61 to 68 days old. Male hedgehogs do not help raise the young.
What Southern African Hedgehogs Eat
Southern African hedgehogs are mostly insectivorous, meaning they love to eat insects. In the wild, they mainly eat earthworms and crickets. However, they have also learned to eat many other things, becoming omnivores. This is because they sometimes live near people and can find food from human areas.
Their diet can include many kinds of invertebrates like beetles, termites, grasshoppers, moths, centipedes, millipedes, and slugs. They also eat small animals like frogs, lizards, baby birds, and tiny mice. Sometimes, they eat dead animals, bird eggs, plants, and even mushrooms. If they live near gardens, they might even eat dog food!
Hedgehogs living in dry areas do not need to drink much water. They get most of the water they need from the food they eat. A hedgehog can eat about 30% of its own body weight in just one night! Before they go into hibernation, hedgehogs need to weigh at least 500g to have enough energy to survive the winter.
Where Southern African Hedgehogs Live
Southern African hedgehogs are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night. They can live in many different places, but they prefer grassy areas and Bushveld (a type of woodland) that isn't too wet. They like places with lots of leaves and other natural cover.
During the day, they hide under leaves, bushes, or in holes. They only come out at night to find food. These hedgehogs usually change their sleeping spots every day. Only their winter dens and breeding nests might be used for a longer time.
Hedgehog Range
The Southern African hedgehog lives across southern Africa. You can find them in Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. There are two main areas where they live:
- A western area that includes Angola and Namibia.
- An eastern area that includes South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
Each hedgehog usually has a home area of about 200–300 meters around where it lives, which is often a hole in the ground. They usually live alone, except for mothers raising their babies.
Hedgehogs and Humans
Southern African hedgehogs are not dangerous to people. However, humans can be a danger to them. Many hedgehogs are sadly killed by cars on roads.
In some southern African cultures, people have old beliefs about hedgehogs. Some think that smoke from burning their spines or dried meat can keep bad spirits away. People also sometimes hunt hedgehogs for food.
Luckily, living hedgehogs are helpful to humans! Many of these hedgehogs live in suburban gardens in southern Africa. They help people by eating pests that can harm garden plants.
Conservation groups also help hedgehogs by raising and breeding them in special centers. In these places, hedgehogs can live up to 7 years, which is much longer than their 3-year lifespan in the wild. In captivity, they can get treatment for illnesses like pneumonia and ringworm, which are common problems for them. In South Africa, it is against the law to keep native hedgehogs as pets without a special permit.
Images for kids
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A Southern African hedgehog curled into a protective ball.
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A Southern African hedgehog.
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A Southern African hedgehog seen from the right.
