Wildlifeof India
Bare-bellied Hedgehog
Pangolins, Hares, Pikas & Shrews
Photo: SANTHOSH KRISHNAN13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Paraechinus nudiventris
Basic stats
Habitat
Dry arid regions and scrubby jungle
Range
Endemic to south-eastern India; also recorded in Kottayam and Palakkad districts of Kerala
Litter size
4–6 young
Size
Head and body 14–25cm; tail 1–3cm
Weight
310–435g
The bare-bellied hedgehog, also called the Madras hedgehog, is endemic to dry arid regions and scrubby jungle in south-eastern India, and has also been found in Kottayam and Palakkad districts of Kerala. Head and body length is 14–25 cm, the tail only 1–3 cm, and weight 310–435 g (Wikipedia, general species account).
It reaches sexual maturity in about ten months and gives birth to four to six young per litter. Hedgehogs are protected under Schedule IV of India's Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, but the Madras hedgehog is hunted locally for food and for medicine, and is widely believed to cure tuberculosis, asthma and coughs (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Bare-bellied Hedgehog live in?
- Dry arid regions and scrubby jungle
- Where is the Bare-bellied Hedgehog found?
- Endemic to south-eastern India; also recorded in Kottayam and Palakkad districts of Kerala
- What is the litter size of the Bare-bellied Hedgehog?
- 4–6 young
- How big is the Bare-bellied Hedgehog?
- Head and body 14–25cm; tail 1–3cm
- How much does the Bare-bellied Hedgehog weigh?
- 310–435g