Madras Hedgehog

News: For the first time, the Tamil Nadu forest department has begun a study on Madras Hedgehog at the Theri forests.

About Madras Hedgehog

• The Madras hedgehog is a small-sized insectivorous mammal.
• It is also called the bare-bellied hedgehog or South Indian hedgehog.
• Scientific name: Paraechinus nudiventrus
• Habitat: It lives in arid and semi-arid habitats such as grasslands, open shrublands, thorn forests, and dry deciduous forests.
  • It prefers open natural ecosystems and avoids dense forests.
• Distribution: It is endemic to southern India.
  • It is found only in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala.
• Physical Features: 
  • Appearance: Its body is covered with sharp spines except on the face, legs, and underbelly. It has soft white fur on its belly.
  • Defence: When threatened, it rolls itself into a tight ball for protection.
  • It has a pig-like snout which helps it in searching for food in the soil.
  • Length: 14–25 cm with a short tail of 1–3 cm.
  • Weight: 130-315 grams
  • Lifespan: Five to six years
• Nature: It is a nocturnal animal and remains active mostly during the night.
  • It has a limited home range of about two to three kilometres and completes its life cycle within this area.
• Diet: It is an omnivore and mainly feeds on insects and soil invertebrates.
• Ecological role:
  • It plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance as both a predator and prey species.
  • It can eat up to forty insects in an hour and helps farmers by controlling pest populations.
  • It is considered an ecological indicator because its population reflects the health of the environment.
• Threat
  • Habitat loss from agriculture, plantations and wind or solar infrastructure
  • Poaching
  • Road mortality.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern