The bare-bellied hedgehog (''Paraechinus nudiventris''), also known as the Madras hedgehog, is a species of
hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...
that is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to dry arid regions and scrubby jungles in southeastern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
As it was believed to be rare, it was formerly listed as
Vulnerable by the
IUCN. It is now known to be locally common in the Indian states of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
, resulting in its new listing as a species of
Least Concern
A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...
.
Hedgehogs are protected species under schedule IV of
Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
It was also found in
Kottayam
Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south- ...
and
Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
districts of
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
.
Madras hedgehogs are hunted locally in India for subsistence food and medicinal purposes. They are wildly perceived to be a cure for tuberculosis and asthma, as well as offer relief against coughs.
Characteristics
The bare-bellied hedgehog has a head to body length , a short tail of , and weighs . It reaches sexual maturity in about 10 months and gives birth to 4-6 young per litter.
See also
Indian hedgehog
The Indian hedgehog (''Paraechinus micropus'') is a species of hedgehog native to India and Pakistan. It mainly lives in sandy desert areas but can be found in other environments.
Description
The Indian hedgehog can be compared to the long-ear ...
References
Cheruvat, Dinesan; Radhakrishnan, C. and Muhamed Jafer Palot. 2006. Handbook on Mammals of Kerala : 1–154. (Published by the Director, ZooL Surv. India, Kolkata)
Pradesh, U. (2016). Medicinal uses and trade of Madras HedgehogsParaechinus nudiventris in Tamil Nadu, India. ''Traffic Bulletin'', ''28''(1), 7.
bare-bellied hedgehog
Mammals of India
Fauna of Andhra Pradesh
Fauna of Tamil Nadu
bare-bellied hedgehog
{{erinaceidae-stub