Hugh's hedgehog
| Hugh's hedgehog | ||||||||||||
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| Mesechinus hughi | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1908) |
Hugh's hedgehog ( Mesechinus hughi ) is a species of steppe hedgehog that is endemic to dry steppe areas of China . The specific epithet honors Reverend Father Hugh Scallan (1851–1928), who worked as a botanist and missionary in China at the end of the 19th century.
features
Hugh's hedgehog reaches a head-torso length of 15.5 to 20.0 centimeters. The fur and spines are dark, with the darker spines having a white ring on top. Compared to the Daurian hedgehog , the fur in the prickly-free areas is coarser and darker brown. The spines themselves are comparatively soft. The ears are shorter than the spines. Other features and differences to the Daurian hedgehog mainly concern the skull.
distribution
Hugh's hedgehog is endemic to the People's Republic of China . The distribution area is limited to parts of the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi , Shanxi , Gansu and Sichuan as well as in Henan . The subspecies M. h. hughi in southern Shaanxi and Sichuan, M. h. miodon on the Ordos Plateau in Shaanxi and Gansu and M. h. sylvaticus in Shanxi, where it is only known from the mountainous region of Zhongtiao Shan .
Way of life
The hedgehog lives in dry steppe areas and regionally in coniferous forests. In Shaanxi it occurs sympatric with the Chinese hedgehog ( Erinaceus amurensis ). No information is available on the lifestyle and ecology of Hugh's hedgehog and there are few museum specimens of this species.
Systematics
Hugh's hedgehog is assigned to the steppe hedgehog (genus Mesechinus ) as an independent species , to which only the Daurian hedgehog ( Mesechinus duricus ) belongs. Originally the species was assigned to the brown-breasted hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus ) and later to the Daurian hedgehog. Today three subspecies are distinguished, the nominate form M. h. hughi , M. h. miodon and M. h. sylvaticus . M. h. miodon was temporarily assigned to the Daurian hedgehog, and relocating it as an independent species was also discussed.
Hazard and protection
The species is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to the assumed population size and the comparatively large distribution area. It also lives in several protected areas and a greater decline in populations is not known.
However, no information is available on the size of the population. Declines are likely due to overhunting, as the animals are primarily hunted for food and medicinal purposes.
literature
- Hugh's hedgehog. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie (Eds.): A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ et al. 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 295.
Web links
- Mesechinus hughi inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.1. Listed by: Andrew T. Smith , CH Johnston, D. Lunde, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
supporting documents
- ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins, Michael Grayson: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2009, ISBN 978-080-189-304-9 , p. 199.
- ↑ a b c d Hugh's hedgehog. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie (Eds.): A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ et al. 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 361.
- ↑ a b c d Mesechinus hughi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.1. Listed by: Andrew T. Smith , CH Johnston, D. Lunde, 2008. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- ↑ Mesechinus hughi ( Memento of the original from November 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
