Amur hedgehog

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Amur hedgehog [1]
Erinaceus amurensis.jpg
In Lazo national park, Russia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Erinaceidae
Genus: Erinaceus
Species:
E. amurensis
Binomial name
Erinaceus amurensis
Schrenk, 1858
Amur Hedgehog area.png
Amur hedgehog range
Synonyms [2]
  • E. chinensis Satunin, 1907
  • E. dealbatus Swinhoe, 1870
  • E. hanensis Matschie, 1907
  • E. koreanus Lönnberg, 1922
  • E. koreensis Mori, 1922
  • E. kreyenbergi Matschie, 1907
  • E. orientalis Allen, 1903
  • E. tschifuensis Matschie, 1907
  • E. ussuriensis Satunin, 1907

The Amur hedgehog (Erinaceus amurensis), also called the Manchurian hedgehog, is a hedgehog similar to the European hedgehog in appearance and behaviour, although it is more lightly coloured. It is native to Amur Oblast and Primorye in Russia, Manchuria in China, and the Korean Peninsula. Like other hedgehogs, it uses scent and hearing while looking for prey, and the name "hedgehog" refers to the pig-like grunts it makes as it forages. [3]

Contents

Description

This hedgehog is closely related to and slightly larger and lighter in color than the European hedgehog, with a head-and-body length of between 160 and 290 mm (6 and 11 in) and a very short tail. It weighs between 600 and 1,000 g (21 and 35 oz). The head, back and sides are covered with long, sharp spines. These are of two different colours; some are plain white; others have a white or yellowish-brown base and tip, and a central portion that is mid to dark brown, giving the animal an altogether pale, brownish-grey colour. The quills on the head are separated from each other by narrow strips of bare skin. The quills, covered in keratin, are strong so that they don't break or fall out. These spines are used as a defense mechanism when they are threatened. The hedgehog curls up into a ball, where their quills are facing out and their face/head are curled inwards. [4] The face and underparts are covered in pale hair. [5]

Distribution and habitat

The Amur hedgehog is found natively in the Amur Oblast and Primorye in Russia, Manchuria in China, and the Korean Peninsula. Its range extends from about 29°N, which is just south of the Yangtze River northwards to the Amur Basin and the Korean Peninsula. It occupies a wide range of habitats including grassland, forest edges, and areas with mixed coniferous and broadleaf woodland. The IUCN Red List states that it is found in valleys and lowlands but not in highland regions or cultivated fields. [2] The Mammals of China disagrees, stating that suitable habitats include montane and sub-alpine terrain, steppe, shrublands, cultivated land, villages and city parks. [5]

Reproduction

The Amur hedgehog is an animal that can survive on its own without any partnership. These animals typically only come together when it is mating season. [6] [7] There is no information regarding this specific species reproduction to this date.

Ecology

Like other hedgehogs, this is a nocturnal species, emerging at night to forage for small arthropods, especially fly larvae, and earthworms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs and occasionally fruit. Chinese sources state that this hedgehog is preyed on by sable (Martes zibellina), but Russian sources dispute this. There are one or two litters in the summer, each consisting of four to six young, and in about October, the hedgehog enters a state of torpor and hibernates until spring. [2] [3] [5]

Status

E. amurensis is a common species and no specific threats have been identified, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". [2] These hedgehogs, though common, have a lifespan of 8 years, while in captivity. It is unknown how long they live in native lands. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hedgehog</span> Subfamily of small spiny mammals

A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. However, the extinct genus Amphechinus was once present in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primorsky Krai</span> First-level administrative division of Russia

Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subject of Russia, located in the Far East region of the country and is a part of the Far Eastern Federal District. The city of Vladivostok on the southern coast of the krai is its administrative center, and is one of the two largest cities in the Russian Far East together with Khabarovsk. The krai has the largest economy among the federal subjects in the Russian Far East, and a population of 1,845,165 as of the 2021 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Far East</span> Geographical region

The Russian Far East is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is administered as a part of the Far Eastern Federal District, which is located between Lake Baikal in eastern Siberia and the Pacific Ocean. The area's largest city is Khabarovsk, followed by Vladivostok. The region shares land borders with the countries of Mongolia, China, and North Korea to its south, as well as maritime boundaries with Japan to its southeast, and with the United States along the Bering Strait to its northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leopard cat</span> Small wild cat species

The leopard cat is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European hedgehog</span> Species of small spiny mammal

The European hedgehog, also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles. It is a generally common and widely distributed species that can survive across a wide range of habitat types. It is a well-known species, and a favourite in European gardens, both for its endearing appearance and its preference for eating a range of garden pests. While populations are currently stable across much of its range, it is declining severely in Great Britain where it is now Red Listed, meaning that it is considered to be at risk of local extinction. Outside its native range, the species was introduced to New Zealand during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erinaceidae</span> Family of mammals

Erinaceidae is a family in the order Eulipotyphla, consisting of the hedgehogs and moonrats. Until recently, it was assigned to the order Erinaceomorpha, which has been subsumed with the paraphyletic Soricomorpha into Eulipotyphla. Eulipotyphla has been shown to be monophyletic; Soricomorpha is paraphyletic because Soricidae shared a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with other soricomorphs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primorskaya Oblast</span>

Primorskaya Oblast was an administrative division of the Russian Empire and the early Russian SFSR, created on October 31, 1856 by the Governing Senate. The name of the region literally means "Maritime" or "Coastal." The region was established upon a Russian conquest of Daur people that used to live along Amur River. Before the Russian conquest of Russian Manchuria, the territory belonged to the Chinese region of Manchuria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-eared hedgehog</span> Species of mammal

The long-eared hedgehog is a species of hedgehog native to Central Asian countries and some countries of the Middle East. The long-eared hedgehog lives in burrows that it either makes or finds and is distinguished by its long ears. It is considered one of the smallest Middle Eastern hedgehogs. This hedgehog is insectivorous but may also feed on small vertebrates and plants. In captivity they can live for over 7 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern white-breasted hedgehog</span> Species of mammal

The southern white-breasted hedgehog, sometimes referred to as white-bellied hedgehog or white-chested hedgehog, is a hedgehog native to Eastern Europe and Southwestern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four-toed hedgehog</span> Species of mammal

The four-toed hedgehog, also known as the african pygmy hedgehog, is a species of hedgehog found throughout much of central and eastern Africa.

<i>Vitis amurensis</i> Species of grapevine

Vitis amurensis, the Amur grape, is a species of grape native to the Asian continent. Its name comes from the Amur Valley in Russia and China.

<i>Atractylodes</i> Genus of flowering plants

Atractylodes is a genus of Asian flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.

<i>Erinaceus</i> Genus of mammals

Erinaceus is a genus of hedgehog from the family of Erinaceidae. There are four main species of Erinaceus. The range is all across Europe, throughout the Middle East, parts of Russia, and extending to northern China and Korea. The European hedgehog has been introduced to New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-faced buzzard</span> Species of bird

The grey-faced buzzard is an Asian bird of prey. It is typically 41–46 cm (16–18 in) in length, making it a small-sized raptor. It breeds in Manchuria, Korea and Japan; it winters in South-east Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser hedgehog tenrec</span> Species of mammal

The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only species in the genus Echinops and is named in honour of Charles Telfair. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, shrubland, and shrubland and dry savanna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North African hedgehog</span> Species of mammal

The North African hedgehog or Algerian hedgehog, is a mammal species in the family Erinaceidae native to Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia. Little is known about this hedgehog, even though the most common breed of domesticated hedgehogs is a result of crossing a four-toed hedgehog with a North African hedgehog. Because this species of hedgehog is native to Africa, it has been suggested that it was introduced by humans to the other countries where it is now found, including Spain and the Canary Islands. Of the four African hedgehog species, the North African hedgehog is the only one of these hedgehogs that occurs outside Africa. Because the North African hedgehog has such a wide habitat range and has a seemingly stable population, both in the wild and in the domesticated capacity, it does not appear to currently be at risk.

The Amur is a major river in Russia and China, forming part of the border between these countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amur leopard</span> Leopard subspecies in Far East Asia

The Amur leopard is a leopard subspecies native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia and northern China. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, as in 2007, only 19–26 wild leopards were estimated to survive in southeastern Russia and northeastern China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ussuri dhole</span> Subspecies of carnivore

The Ussuri dhole, also known as the Eastern Asiatic dhole and the Chinese dhole, is the nominate subspecies of the dhole wild dog native to Asia. The Ussuri dhole subspecies is originally native to China and sections of Manchuria, the Amur River, the Korean Peninsula and Mongolia; however, it is presumed regionally extinct or extirpated in most of its historical range in the country, and likely found in fragmented populations in the Russian Far East.

References

  1. Hutterer, R. (2005). "Order Soricomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 213. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Cassola, F. (2016). "Erinaceus amurensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T40604A22325640. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T40604A22325640.en . Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. 1 2 Michael McMillan (2014). Data Structures and Algorithms with JavaScript: Bringing classic computing approaches to the Web. O'Reilly Media. p. 366. ISBN   978-1-4493-7395-5.
  4. "Photo Ark: Amur Hedgehog". National Geographic Society. 19 March 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Smith, Andrew T.; Xie, Yan; Hoffmann, Robert S.; Lunde, Darrin; MacKinnon, John; Wilson, Don E.; Wozencraft, W. Chris (2010). A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press. p. 293. ISBN   978-1-4008-3411-2.
  6. Love, Cassandra. "Amur Hedgehog". National Geographic. National Geographic.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  7. 1 2 "Amur Hedgehog - Erinaceus amurensis - Details - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life.