Erinaceidae[1]
Temporal range: Eocene–Recent
Erinaceus europaeus (European hedgehog)
Neohylomys hainanensis (Hainan gymnure)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Erinaceidae
G. Fischer, 1814
Type genus
Erinaceus
Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies & genera

Erinaceidae /ˌɛrɪnəˈsiːɪdiː/ 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;[2] Soricomorpha is paraphyletic because both Soricidae and Talpidae share a more recent common ancestor with Erinaceidae than with solenodons.[3]

Erinaceidae contains the well-known hedgehogs (subfamily Erinaceinae) of Eurasia and Africa and the gymnures or moonrats (subfamily Galericinae) of Southeast Asia. This family was once considered part of the order Insectivora, but that polyphyletic order is now considered defunct.[1]

Characteristics

Erinaceids are generally shrew-like in form, with long snouts and short tails. They are, however, much larger than shrews, ranging from 10–15 cm (4–6 in) in body length and 40–60 grams (1.4–2.1 oz) in weight, in the case of the short-tailed gymnure, up to 26–45 cm (10–18 in) and 1.0–1.4 kg (2.2–3.1 lb) in the moonrat. All but one species have five toes in each foot, in some cases with strong claws for digging, and they have large eyes and ears. Hedgehogs possess hair modified into sharp spines to form a protective covering over the upper body and flanks, while gymnures have only normal hair. Most species have anal scent glands, but these are far better developed in gymnures, which can have a powerful odor.[4]

Erinaceids are omnivorous, with the major part of their diet consisting of insects, earthworms, and other small invertebrates. They also eat seeds and fruit, and occasionally birds' eggs, along with any carrion they come across. Their teeth are sharp and suited for impaling invertebrate prey. The dental formula for erinaceids is: 2-3.1.4.33.1.2-4.3

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, but gymnures are less so, and may be active during the day. Many species live in simple burrows, while others construct temporary nests on the surface from leaves and grass, or shelter in hollow logs or similar hiding places. Erinaceids are solitary animals outside the breeding season, and the father plays no role in raising the young.[4]

Female erinaceids give birth after a gestation period of around six to seven weeks. The young are born blind and hairless, although hedgehogs begin to sprout their spines within 36 hours of birth.

Evolution

Erinaceids are a group of placental mammals that have retained many of their ancestral traits, having changed little since their origin in the Eocene. The so-called 'giant hedgehog' (actually a gymnure) Deinogalerix, from the Miocene of Gargano Island (part of modern Italy), was the size of a large rabbit, and may have eaten vertebrate prey or carrion, rather than insects.[5]

Classification

See also: List of erinaceids

References

  1. ^ a b Hutterer, R. (2005). "Family Erinaceidae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 212–219. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ Robin MD Beck; Olaf RP Bininda-Emonds; Marcel Cardillo; Fu-Guo Robert Liu; Andy Purvis (2006). "A higher level MRP supertree of placental mammals". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 6: 93. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-6-93. PMC 1654192. PMID 17101039.
  3. ^ Roca, A.L.; G.K. Bar-Gal; E. Eizirik; K.M. Helgen; R. Maria; M.S. Springer; S.J. O'Brien & W.J. Murphy (2004). "Mesozoic origin for West Indian insectivores". Nature. 429 (6992): 649–651. Bibcode:2004Natur.429..649R. doi:10.1038/nature02597. PMID 15190349. S2CID 915633.
  4. ^ a b Wroot, Andrew (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 750–757. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
  5. ^ Savage, RJG & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X.
  6. ^ Wazir, W.A.; Cailleux, F.; Sehgal, R.K.; Patnaik, R.; Kumar, N.; van den Hoek Ostende, L.W. (2022). "First record of insectivore from the late Oligocene, Kargil Formation (Ladakh Molasse Group), Ladakh Himalayas". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. X (8): 100105. doi:10.1016/j.jaesx.2022.100105. S2CID 249858720.
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