South African Hedgehog

SPECIES: Atelerix frontalis

STATUS: Least Concern

HABITAT: Can be found in several different habitats but prefer grassy areas and around bushes that have a large amount of leafy matter to hide under.

DIET: Earthworms, insects and the occasional mouse or lizard, and sometimes the occasional dropped fruit.

GENERAL: When threatened hedgehogs curl into a tight ball thus protecting their soft underbelly while the 5,000 to 6,500 sharp spines protects the animal. Hedgehogs are nocturnal but during the day hide under bushes in the leaf litter, hollow logs, and abandoned burrows.