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Hedgehog
Atelerix albiventris
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HABITAT
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Hard ground of cliffs and plains of Central Africa. Senegambia to
Upper Nile & Abyssinia.
The Congo to Tanganyika & Kenya. |
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DIET
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Technically insectivores but are actually omnivores. Will consume
insects, earthworms, wood lice, spiders, centipedes, snails, frogs, toads,
lizards and snakes. |
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LIFE SPAN
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In
captivity, hedgehogs live up to 10 years. |
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OTHER FACTS
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When threatened,
the hedgehog has the ability to roll itself into a compact ball.
This faces its quills out in all directions making the hedgehog uninviting
to predators. The quills are sharp, but not barbed or poisonous.
Hedgehogs will apply a foamy salvia to their quills. This may serve
many purposes; an irritant to predators, a natural insect repellent, or
an attractant to potential mates. |
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