Erinaceus concolor Martin 1838

3. Southern White-breasted Hedgehog Erinaceus concolor French: Hérisson de Turquie / German: Sidlicher WeiRbrustigel / Spanish: Erizo oriental de vientre blanco Other common names: \White-bellied Hedgehog, White-chested Hedgehog Taxonomy. Erinaceus concolor Martin, 1838, “apud Trebizond.” Interpreted by D. R. Frost and colleagues in 1991 as “Trabzon, Turkey, 40°00°N, 39°43’E.” This species is monotypic. Distribution. Turkey (Anatolia) E to S Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan) and S to NW Iran, N Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan and on Chios, Samos, and Rhodes Is (Greece). Descriptive notes. Head-body 200-260 mm, tail 20-30 mm, ear 20-30 mm, hindfoot 41 mm; weight 550-800 g (some individuals weigh up to 1-5 kg). Dorsal pelage of the Southern White-breasted Hedgehog has spines up to 37 mm long. As in other species of Erinaceus,it has faintly visible central parting of spines on crown of head, smooth spines lacking papillae, and very well-developed hallux on hindfeet. When it walks, spines on forehead lean forward, and others lean backward. Ears are relatively short. Face, legs, and underparts are covered with non-spiny hairs. Overall color is dark brown, with distinctive patch of white fur across chest. Albinos are extremely rare. It is similar in size and appearance to the West European Hedgehog (E. europaeus), but it can be distinguished by distinctive white chest that contrasts with dark abdomen. Dental formula is 13/2, C1/1,P 3/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 36. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48 and FN = 92-94. Habitat. Deciduous forests, scrublands, grasslands, and alpine regions below tree line but typically not extensive coniferous forests because of lack of ground cover. The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog is less common in treeless moors, uplands, and marshlands because it usually gathers broad, dry leaves to construct nests in burrows and other shelters that are used for hibernation. It prospers in wooded parks, gardens, golf courses, and farmlands; however, populations in farmlands are small or lacking where hedgerows have been removed and where use of pesticides has reduced populations of invertebrate prey. During dry years, it might move onto irrigated fields. In Turkey, it inhabits apple, pear, and mulberry orchards; agricultural fields of beets, spinach, corn, cabbage, and other vegetables; areas with thick grasses around barns and bushes; and urban areas. Food and Feeding. The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog mainly eats insects and other invertebrates but also frogs, snakes,lizards, young birds, mice, some plant matter, fungi, and carrion. It can supplementits diet by scavenging food discarded by humans. Breeding. Breeding season varies geographically: March to late May in southern populations and April-May and into July in northern areas. Gestation lasts 31-36 days. Young are born in nests constructed under foliage or other objects. Litters have 5-6 young (range 3-8). Neonates have an average crown-rump length of 55 mm (range 45-60 mm) and weigh 12-16 g; white-tipped spines soon emerge on their back. Eyes open in 14-18 days, and teeth appear at 21-24 days. Maximum life expectancy is c.6-8 years in the wild and ten years in captivity. Activity patterns. The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog primarily is active at night and rests by day under piles of brush or in leaf nests in rocky crevices and burrows. Itis a good swimmer and climber. Its spines, besides serving as protection from predators, act as a cushion whenitfalls or deliberately drops from a height. Usual gait is slow, ambling walk, but it can run rapidly. Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog travels ¢.300 m/night, and maximum walking speed is ¢.17 m/minute. It makes large aboveground nests of leaves and grass beneath bushes or under grass. It uses simple burrows on hillsides and gradual slopes and can excavate elaborate burrows. In winter, nests are in gently sloping burrows, often between roots of bushes and trees. Burrows are up to 152 cm long and 76 cm deep. In an area where there were few trees, a nest burrow that was lined with leaves was in dense grass in an orchard. The Southern Whitebreasted Hedgehog is usually solitary, except during the breeding season when a female has young or when several individuals share the same burrow in winter. Average home ranges are 1-6 ha for males (range 0-8-2-3 ha) and adult females (range 0-1-2-4 ha). The Southern White-breasted Hedgehog performs self-anointing behavior, which might be a sexualsignal, provide protection from predators, or serve some other purpose. Typical defensive posture is to roll into a ball, covering vulnerable underside, face, and limbs with spines. It is quite docile in captivity. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Southern White-breasted Hedgehogs are killed by motor vehicles on roads and by humans for food in some regions. Bibliography. Arslan et al. (2008), Beer (2003), Corbet (1988), Frost et al. (1991), Harrison Matthews (1952), Hutterer (2005a), Karatas et al. (2007), Kazemi et al. (2016), Kral (1967), KryStufek & Vohralik (2001), Martin (1838), Masseti (2012), Nowak (1999), Ozen (2006), Qumesiyeh (1996), Reeve (1994), Schoenfeld & Yom-Tov (1985), Stone (1995b), Vasilenko (1988), Zherebtsova (1992).
Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Erinaceidae, pp. 288-330 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 320, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6639332