Paraechinus nudiventris
Creators: name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Wilson, Don E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Erinaceomorpha
Erinaceidae
Paraechinus
Paraechinus nudiventris

description: 12. Bare-bellied Hedgehog <i>Paraechinus nudiventris</i> <b>French:</b> Hérisson a ventre nu / <b>German:</b> Nacktbauchigel / <b>Spanish:</b> Erizo de vientre desnudo <b>Other common names:</b> Madras Hedgehog <b>Taxonomy.</b> Erinaceus nudiventris Horsfield, 1851, “Madras,” India. Interpreted by D. R. Frost and colleagues in 1991 as either “the city at 13°05’N, 80°17’E or the older name for the Tamil Nadu province,” India. This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, S India. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> There are no specific measurements available. T. Horsfield in 1851 noted that size of the Bare-bellied Hedgehog is about one-half that of the Indian Longeared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris). G. B. Corbet and J. E. Hill in 1992 noted that compared with the Indian Hedgehog, the Bare-bellied Hedgehog has shorter ears, brown collar, and very rudimentary third upper premolars (P?). Tail is short and concealed. Spines have a rough surface, they are strongly grooved along their lengths, and they are yellowish white at bases and tips, with blackish band in the middle. Head and ears are naked and sooty black throughout. Throat, neck to near ears, chest, and abdomen are covered with naked skin of a dirty chestnut-brown, changing to blackish on abdomen and dirty yellowish on sides. It has wide center parting of spines on crown of head and distinct white band across forehead. Ears protrude beyond adjacent spines. Hallux is somewhat reduced but consistently well developed. <b>Habitat.</b> Rocky and shrubby deserts and arid regions with Acacia (Fabaceae) shrubs and trees. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> Diet of the Bare-bellied Hedgehog consists primarily of insects but also small vertebrates, eggs of ground-nesting birds, and scorpions. Captive individuals sometimes eat their young. <b>Breeding.</b> The Bare-bellied Hedgehog probably produces only onelitter each year. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Bare-bellied Hedgehog is terrestrial and excavates burrows under logs, leaves, and near rocks. Most of the day is spent sleeping, and it wakes up and begins searching for food at dusk. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Bare-bellied Hedgehogs are solitary and engage in self-anointing behavior. Captive individuals generally do not bother one another if fed well. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Barebellied Hedgehog is abundantin its restricted distribution and presumably has a large overall population. Increasing desertification is resulting in fragmentation of populations. Loss of habitats due to collection of fuel wood, logging, agriculture, and urbanization are the major conservation threats. <b>Bibliography.</b> Corbet (1988), Corbet &amp; Hill (1992), Frost et al. (1991), Horsfield (1851), Hutterer (2005a), Marimuthu &amp; Asokan (2014), Nowak (1999), Reeve (1994), Stone (1995b).
description: Published as part of <i>Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Don E. Wilson, 2018, Erinaceidae, pp. 288-330 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on pages 324-325, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6639332