This southern African species ranges from southwestern Angola in the west, through northwestern and central Namibia, eastern Botswana, much of South Africa (throughout Gauteng and North West Province, western Limpopo Province and Mpumalanga, and throughout Free State; in the Northern Cape they occur in the northeast and southwards towards the Grahamstown district in Eastern Cape), western Zimbabwe, and perhaps occurring marginally in Lesotho (Skinner and Chimimba 2005).

Atelerix frontalis, one of four African species of hedgehogs, occurs in two geographically separated populations within Africa. One population occurs in western Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana to the Cape Province in South Africa. The other population exists between south-western Angola and northern Namibia.

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

South African hedgehogs have a body covered with small spines, except for their belly, face and ears, which have a fine fur covering them. The unmistakable identifying mark on this hedgehog is a white band across the forehead which can extend over the shoulders or behind the arms to the throat and breast. Head spines are not parted. The spines are mainly white at the base and have a central dark brown to black band around the tip. The band varies in width, which can give the animal a darker or lighter appearance. The face, limbs, and tail are covered with dark brown or grayish brown hair, and the underside can vary in color from white to black. The ears and tail are fairly short, and the snout is pointed. These animals have five toes on each front and hind paw. The legs are fairly long. The average length of the body, including the head, is 20 centimeters, and the tail is approximately two-centimeters. Weight can range from 150 to 555 grams. Females have two pairs of nipples on the chest and one pair of nipples on the abdomen, with some reports of females having more than 6 nipples.

Range mass: 150 to 555 g.

Range length: 15 to 20 cm.

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

South African hedgehogs are found in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in grasslands, scrub, rocky areas, savannah, and suburban gardens. They rarely occur in deserts or in very wet areas. One requirement for good habitat is that there must be dry cover available. Hedgehogs use this cover to rest and rear their young. Also, the dry cover should be close to available food. South African hedgehogs are also found frequently in suburban gardens.

Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: suburban

Hedgehogs will eat just about anything but they are primarily insectivores. They feed on a wide variety of foods such as beetles, termites, grasshoppers, moths, earthworms, centipedes, and millipedes. They will also consume carrion, vegetable matter, fungi, frogs, lizards, bird eggs and chicks, and small mice when available. A hedgehog can consume up to 30% of its own body weight in one night.

Animal Foods: birds; mammals; amphibians; reptiles; eggs; carrion ; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; terrestrial worms

Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; fruit

Other Foods: fungus

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

Not a lot of information was available detailing the role of A. frontalis in its ecosystem. These hedgehogs provide a source of food to those animals that do eat them, although, given their sharp spines, hedgehogs are not a main souce of food for any particular animal. Hedgehogs compete with other large insectivores for resources, which may force one of the two to leave an area. This competition may influence the distribution of hedgehogs. Also, through their foraging behavior, these animals may affect populations of invertebrates and small vertebrates.

Details on predation in this species are lacking. Many carnivores and birds of prey are able to kill and eat hedgehogs. Domestic dogs also kill hedgehogs. Hedgehogs can protect themselves by rolling up into a spiny ball.

Known Predators:

• domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)
• raptors (Falconiformes)
• carnivores (Carnivora)

South African hedgehogs are predominately a solitary species so there is not a lot of social communication. Hedgehogs snort and growl in excitement and make a weak twittering sound when uneasy or in strange surroundings. Spitting and hissing is a reaction of a strange animal in the territory. A male will chatter and snort while courting a female or fighting with another male. A female will snort when courted. Hedgehogs have a very high-pitched alarm call similar to a scream. Vision is poor with limited color, but they have extremely good sense of hearing and smell.

Communication Channels: acoustic ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: scent marks

Perception Channels: acoustic

In the wild, the life span is approximately three years and hedgehogs can live up to seven years in captivity. The shorter life span in the wild is due to pesticide spraying by farmers, predation by humans and other natural predators, being a popular species for the exotic pet trade, and vehicle hazards.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 3 years.

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 7 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 6 years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 3 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 7 years.

Observations: One specimen was still living after 6.9 years in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005). Nonetheless, further studies are necessary to establish the maximum longevity of this species.

South African hedgehogs are monogamous.

Mating System: monogamous

Courtship in hedgehogs can last for days. Males court a female by walking circles around her. She will continuously reject him for days until she is ready to mate. After mating, the male releases a gum-like paste into the vagina. This paste acts like a copulatory plug, and it ensures that his sperm will fertilize the female's eggs, thus ensuring that his genes will be passed to future generations.

Gestation lasts for approximately 35 days. Litters are born in October through March. The number of young can vary from 1 to 10, although litter sizes of four and five are more typical. The young will suckle the mother until they are able to eat solid food.

The weight of the newborn is about 10 g. At birth, these hedgehogs are blind and naked, with tiny spines just underneath the skin. These spines will be replaced within four to six weeks. The young open their eyes after 14 days, and within one month the babies resemble small adults. They then are weaned and begin foraging with the mother at about 6 weeks of age.

After about 6 weeks, the mother starts to drive the young from the nest and encourages them to disperse. The young will breed the following year. These hedgehogs reach sexual maturity in about 61 to 68 days after birth. Adult female hedgehogs can reproduce several times oer year.

Breeding interval: These animals can breed once to several times per year.

Breeding season: The bulk of breeding occurs from August to February.

Range number of offspring: 1 to 10.

Average number of offspring: 4.

Range gestation period: 30 to 40 days.

Range weaning age: 35 to 48 days.

Average weaning age: 40 days.

Range time to independence: 45 to 60 days.

Average time to independence: 55 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization ; viviparous

Average birth mass: 10.49 g.

Average number of offspring: 5.4.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 365 days.

Males do not participate in any parental care. Females nurse the young and protect them until they are able to fend for themselves. Hedgehogs are helpless at birth, but develop quickly.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; altricial ; pre-fertilization (Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female)

Atelerix frontalis was on Appendix II of CITES and was designated as rare in South Africa. However, the species is no longer listed on CITES. Major threats to populations of these animals are their popularity in the pet trade, desireability as food, and loss of their habitat due to the increase of agriculture.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

It is unlikely that this species has any negative effects on humans.

South African hedgehogs may actually be benefiting from the increase of urban gardening and in turn may benefit humans by eating garden pests. African natives harvest this hedgehog to use as food and in traditional rituals; it is believed that smoke from burning spines and dried meat will keep evil spirits away, and also that the fat will cure earaches in children. This species is popular as a pet.

Positive Impacts: pet trade ; food ; source of medicine or drug