Range Description

Atelerix algirus is endemic to the Mediterranean region, occurring across North Africa from Morocco to Libya, in Spain, and on a number of islands including the Canary Islands, Djerba, Malta, Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera. It was formerly introduced to France, but is now extinct there. Its occurrence in continental Europe and on many of the islands within its range may be the result of introductions by man (Lapini 1999). It typically occurs at altitudes of 0 to 400 m, although it can reach altitudes of 900 m in Morocco (Lapini 1999). The exact dates of introductions into many of the Mediterranean Islands are not known, but it is known that the species was introduced onto the Canary Islands in the 1890s (Hutterer 1983, R. Hutterer pers. comm. 2007).