Desert hedgehog
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| Desert Hedgehog | |
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| Species: | P. aethiopicus
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| Binomial name | |
| Paraechinus aethiopicus (Ehrenberg, 1832)
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The desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) is a species of mammal in the Erinaceidae family. It is found in the Sahara Desert, Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen, and possibly Ethiopia.
The desert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is 5 1/2 to 11 inches long and weighs about 10-18 ounces. The spines on its back can be wrinkled or a different color than most. If desert hedgehogs are threatened, their muscles go tight and pull the skin around the body. They freeze and roll into a ball, making their spikes stick out in all directions; making it almost impossible to get to them. Studies show that some hedgehogs have immunity to toxins. They eat bees, wasps, other insects, scorpians, spiders and snakes.