Southern White-breasted Hedgehog

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Southern White-breasted Hedgehog[1]

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Erinaceomorpha
Family: Erinaceidae
Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Genus: Erinaceus
Species: E. concolor
Binomial name
Erinaceus concolor
Martin, 1838

The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor), sometimes referred to as East European Hedgehog, White-bellied Hedgehog or White-chested Hedgehog, is very similar to lifestyle and appearance to the West European Hedgehog, but the former has a white spot on its chest. For a long time these two species were considered to be one. The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog and West European Hedgehog can hybridize.

Unlike its western European counterpart, the Southern White-breasted Hedgehog never digs dens. It prefers building grass nests in secluded places.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hutterer, Rainer (2005-11-16). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 213-214. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 
  2. ^ Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Erinaceus concolor. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 2006-05-06. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
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