Atelerix

Atelerix[1]
A. albiventris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Eulipotyphla
Family: Erinaceidae
Subfamily: Erinaceinae
Genus: Atelerix
Pomel, 1848
Type species
Erinaceus albiventris
Wagner, 1841
Species

A. albiventris
A. algirus
A. frontalis
A. sclateri

Atelerix is a genus of hedgehog in the family Erinaceidae. It contains four species, all native to Africa.[1]

Species

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Genus Atelerix Wagner, 1841 – four species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Four-toed hedgehog

Atelerix albiventris
(Wagner, 1841)
Gambia and Senegal in the west, to Somalia in the east, and also in eastern Africa, as far south as Mozambique
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 LC 


North African hedgehog

Atelerix algirus
Lereboullet, 1842
Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and Tunisia
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 LC 


Southern African hedgehog

Atelerix frontalis
(A. Smith, 1831)
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
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 LC 


Somali hedgehog

Atelerix sclateri
Anderson, 1895
Somalia.
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 LC 




The Atelerix diversified from its family because of geographical isolation during Pleistocene climate changes. This being a type of vicariance separation from the Niger River. This allowed the Erinaceidane family to be more diverse.

References

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  1. ^ a b Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.