Zur family of the hedgehogs is fitting two externally quite different subfamilies: The hair-hedgehogs (subfamily Echinosoricinae) form an original, thorn-loose hedgehog-group.
Also the property of thorns with the thorn-hedgehogs (subfamily Erinaceinae) indicates original mammal-characteristics (Igeltanrek Tanreks, beak-hedgehogs, an original, ah-killing mammal). These bestachelten shapes are everyone familiar through the native hedgehog (hedgehogs (2)), Erinaceus europaeus.
The hedgehogs are night-animals predominantly, that during the day itself under hedge or mounds, undergrowth or in Erdhöhlen of other animals hides.
Small-ear-hedgehogs The small-ear-hedgehogs from the type Erinaceus are widespread over Eurasia's restrained zone and in Africa.
Beside our native Eurasian hedgehog (2), also the cape-hedgehog (Erinaceus frontalis) belongs to this type.
Way of life The small-ear-hedgehogs eat spiders, snails, frogs, lizards, birds, mice and carrion, insects, worms. From our native hedgehog is furthermore known that it, albeit rarely, also high-fat seeds, fruits and berries eats. One can therefore call these hedgehogs real omnivores.
How also all other hedgehogs, they can roll up themselves to a thorn-ball with danger.
Long-ear-hedgehogs The long-ear-hedgehogs (type Hemiechinus) are approximately just as big as our native hedgehog. As with many desert-inhabitants, we find also with the two types of this type increased ear-mussels. By the way, however, also in the coloring, they look like the European hedgehog.
Way of life The long-ear-hedgehogs live in myself-dug Erdhöhlen, that it leave only in the evening-hours, in order to go on food-search. Insects and small vertebrates are eaten mainly.
Spread The more known one of the two types, Hemiechinus auritus, comes in the deserts, and steppe-areas of the northeastern Africa as well as in large sharing front, and Innerasiens before.
Desert-hedgehogs The desert-hedgehogs of the type Paraechinus live in deserts and dry-zones of Morocco as far as to the Iraq and from Egypt as far as after Ethiopia (Paraechinus aethiopicus), or they live in corresponding regions of India (Paraechinus micropus) and in Near east, Afghanistan and the south of the former Soviet union (Paraechinus hypomelas).
Shape The desert-hedgehogs are approximately 5 cm smaller than our hedgehog and colored significantly more colorfully. Face and muzzle are dark brown until blackish; Forehead, cheek and body-underside are white until dark brown. The legs are somewhat darker, like the complexion. The thorns are gebändert black-and-white-yellow. The desert-hedgehogs belong to the most graceful insectivores surely. The ears are the long-ear-hedgehog somewhat smaller than this.
Way of life Under bushes and undergrowth, holes are positioned with only one exit.
Desert-hedgehogs live mainly from insects and small vertebrates. they plunder also the nests of ground-brooding birds. It is reported that they hunt down also poisonous scorpions extremely skillfully.
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