Report sightings of suspected exotic animal incursions
See it? Report it. Use the online form for any sightings of suspected exotic animal incursions.
Also known as African pygmy hedgehog.
Why is it important to report hedgehog sightings?
African hedgehogs are not native to Australia and could populate a wide range of landscapes.
Hedgehogs have the potential to:
- introduce and carry exotic diseases like rabies and foot and mouth
- spread endemic diseases like include Salmonella, Q fever and Toxoplasmosis which are capable of being transmitted to humans
- negatively impact native species due to their voracious, omnivorous appetite, affecting insects, snails, lizards and ground-nesting birds, particularly shore birds, as hedgehogs raid their nests and can eat the eggs and chicks.
Description
The African hedgehog is a small mammal which originates from central, west and east Africa. The hedgehog:
- is about 21 cm long from head to tail
- has a pointed muzzle and short legs with four toes
- usually has dark ears and muzzle and the body is speckled with grey, brown and white on the back and sides including the spines whilst the underparts are white
- weighs between 250 g and 600g
African hedgehogs can lack pigmentation (albinism) and be totally white with pink eyes. White hedgehogs are rare in the wild but is often selectively bred for in captive populations.
Breeding
The African hedgehog:
- gives birth to a litter of two to ten young, with an average of five per litter
- young are born in a nest and are blind and naked at birth
- females reach sexual maturity at about one year of age and on average one litter a year.
A wild African hedgehog typically lives for 2-3 years while a captive hedgehog can live up to 10 years.
