Desert Hedgehog
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Photo] Desert Hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) in a man's hand. Date 2000. Author Max Korostischeveski.

The Desert Hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus) is a species of mammal in the Erinaceidae family. It is found in Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara, Yemen, and possibly Ethiopia.

The dessert hedgehog is one of the smallest of hedgehogs. It is 5 1/2 to 11 inches long and weighs about 10-18 ounces. The spines on its back can be wrinkled or a different color than most hedgies. If Desert Hedgehogs are threatened, their muscles go tight and pull the skin around the body. They freeze and roll into a ball, making their spikes stick out in all directions; making it almost impossible to get to them.
Studies show that some Hedgehogs are invoulnerable to toxins. They can eat bees, wasps, and some venomous snakes. They cant take their direct bite though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Hedgehog

The text in this page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article shown in above URL. It is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.