Long-eared hedgehog

The desert's spiky friend with big ears

This hedgehog has big ears — in the desert heat they cool its body and hear the faintest rustle. At night it hunts beetles, grasshoppers and scorpions — scorpion venom doesn't affect it! When threatened it rolls into a ball, but it runs faster than an ordinary hedgehog. It lives in Uzbekistan's deserts and steppes.

The long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) lives in dry regions from North Africa to Mongolia; in Uzbekistan it is widespread in deserts, steppes and foothills. Smaller than the common hedgehog (250–400 g), with 5 cm ears for shedding heat and hearing. Nocturnal: insects, scorpions, lizards, even snakes; resistant to venom. It goes a long time without water, getting moisture from food. It hibernates (November–March) and may also enter 'summer sleep' in extreme heat. Foxes, eagles and eagle-owls are its enemies; its spines are under 1 cm, so it prefers to run.

Fun facts

• This hedgehog eats scorpions — the venom does not affect it.
• Its big ears work like a 'radiator' in the desert heat.
• It runs faster than a common hedgehog and prefers fleeing to curling up.