Erinaceomorphs

Erinaceidae is a family in the order Eulipotyphla, consisting of the hedgehogs and moonrats. Until recently, it was assigned to the order Erinaceomorpha, which has been subsumed with the paraphyletic Soricomorpha into Eulipotyphla. Eulipotyphla has been shown to be monophyletic; Soricomorpha is paraphyletic because Soricidae shared a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with other soricomorphs.

Erinaceidae contains the well-known hedgehogs (subfamily Erinaceinae) of Eurasia and Africa and the gymnures or moonrats (subfamily Galericinae) of South-east Asia. This family was once considered part of the order Insectivora, but that polyphyletic order is now considered defunct.

Characteristics

Erinaceids are generally shrew-like in form, with long snouts and short tails. They are, however, much larger than shrews, ranging from in body length and in weight, in the case of the short-tailed gymnure, up to and in the moonrat. All but one species have five toes in each foot, in some cases with strong claws for digging, and they have large eyes and ears. Hedgehogs possess hair modified into sharp spines to form a protective covering over the upper body and flanks, while gymnures have only normal hair. Most species have anal scent glands, but these are far better developed in gymnures, which can have a powerful odor.

Erinaceids are omnivorous, with the major part of their diet consisting of insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates. They also eat seeds and fruit, and occasionally birds' eggs, along with any carrion they come across. Their teeth are sharp and suited for impaling invertebrate prey. The dental formula for erinaceids is:

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, but gymnures are less so, and may be active during the day. Many species live in simple burrows, while others construct temporary nests on the surface from leaves and grass, or shelter in hollow logs or similar hiding places. Erinaceids are solitary animals outside the breeding season, and the father plays no role in raising the young.

Female erinaceids give birth after a gestation period of around six to seven weeks. The young are born blind and hairless, although hedgehogs begin to sprout their spines within 36 hours of birth.

Evolution

Erinaceids are a relatively primitive group of placental mammals, having changed little since their origin in the Eocene. The so-called 'giant hedgehog' (actually a gymnure) ''Deinogalerix'', from the Miocene of Gargano Island (part of modern Italy), was the size of a large rabbit, and may have eaten vertebrate prey or carrion, rather than insects.

Classification

*Order Eulipotyphla
**†Family Amphilemuridae
***†Genus '' Alsaticopithecus''
***†Genus '' Amphilemur''
***†Genus '' Gesneropithex''
***†Genus ''Macrocranion''
****†''Macrocranion germonpreae''
****†''Macrocranion junnei''
****†''Macrocranion nitens''
****†''Macrocranion robinsoni''
****†''Macrocranion tenerum''
****†''Macrocranion vandebroeki''
***†Genus ''Pholidocercus''
****†''Pholidocercus hassiacus''
**Family Erinaceidae
*** †Genus '' Silvacola''
****†''Silvacola acares''
*** †Genus '' Oligoechinus''
*** Subfamily Erinaceinae
**** †Genus ''Amphechinus''
***** †''Amphechinus akespensis''
***** †''Amphechinus arverniensis''
***** †''Amphechinus baudelotae''
***** †''Amphechinus edwardsi''
***** †''Amphechinus ginsburgi''
***** †''Amphechinus golpeae''
***** †''Amphechinus horncloudi''
***** †''Amphechinus intermedius''
***** †''Amphechinus kreuzae''
***** †''Amphechinus major''
***** †''Amphechinus microdus''
***** †''Amphechinus minutissimus''
***** †''Amphechinus robinsoni''
***** †''Amphechinus taatsiingolensis''
**** Genus †'' Ladakhechinus''
***** †''Ladakhechinus iugummontis''
**** Genus '' Atelerix''
***** Four-toed hedgehog, ''Atelerix albiventris''
***** North African hedgehog, ''Atelerix algirus''
***** Southern African hedgehog, ''Atelerix frontalis''
***** Somali hedgehog, ''Atelerix sclateri''
**** Genus '' Erinaceus''
***** Amur hedgehog, ''Erinaceus amurensis''
***** Southern white-breasted hedgehog, ''Erinaceus concolor''
***** European hedgehog, ''Erinaceus europaeus''
***** Northern white-breasted hedgehog, ''Erinaceus roumanicus''
**** Genus '' Hemiechinus''
***** Long-eared hedgehog, ''Hemiechinus auritus''
***** Indian long-eared hedgehog, ''Hemiechinus collaris''
**** Genus '' Mesechinus''
***** Daurian hedgehog, ''Mesechinus dauuricus''
***** Hugh's hedgehog, ''Mesechinus hughi''
*****Gaoligong forest hedgehog, ''Mesechinus wangi''
***** Small-toothed forest hedgehog, ''Mesechinus miodon''
**** Genus '' Paraechinus''
***** Desert hedgehog, ''Paraechinus aethiopicus''
***** Brandt's hedgehog, ''Paraechinus hypomelas''
***** Indian hedgehog, ''Paraechinus micropus ''
***** Bare-bellied hedgehog, ''Paraechinus nudiventris''
*** Subfamily Galericinae
**** †Genus ''Deinogalerix''
***** †''Deinogalerix brevirostris''
***** †''Deinogalerix freudenthali''
***** †''Deinogalerix intermedius''
***** †''Deinogalerix koenigswaldi''
***** †''Deinogalerix minor''
**** Genus '' Echinosorex''
***** Moonrat, ''Echinosorex gymnura''
**** †Genus ''Galerix''
*****†''Galerix aurelianensis''
*****†''Galerix exilis''
*****†''Galerix kostakii''
*****†''Galerix remmerti''
*****†''Galerix rutlandae''
*****†''Galerix saratji''
*****†''Galerix stehlini''
*****†''Galerix symeonidisi''
*****†''Galerix uenayae''
**** Genus ''Hylomys''
***** Long-eared gymnure, ''Hylomys megalotis''
***** Dwarf gymnure, ''Hylomys parvus''
***** Short-tailed gymnure or Lesser Moonrat, ''Hylomys suillus''
**** Genus ''Neohylomys''
***** Hainan gymnure, ''Neonylomys hainanensis''
**** Genus ''Neotetracus''
***** Shrew gymnure, ''Neotetracus sinensis''
**** Genus ''Podogymnura''
***** Dinagat gymnure, ''Podogymnura aureospinula''
***** Mindanao gymnure, ''Podogymnura truei''

References

{{Authority control

Mammal families
Extant Eocene first appearances
Taxa named by Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim