North African Hedgehog
Atelerix algirus
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 436
- Most observed in
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The North African hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) or Algerian hedgehog, is a mammal species in the family Erinaceidae native to Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia. Little is known about this hedgehog, even though the most common breed of domesticated hedgehogs is a result of crossing a four-toed hedgehog with a North African hedgehog. Because this species of hedgehog is native to Africa, it has been suggested that it was introduced by humans to the other countries where it is now found, including Spain and the Canary Islands.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “North African hedgehog”.