A small, spiny-backed mammal of African grassland and woodland.
Its spines are modified hairs. When threatened, it curls up with the soft belly tucked inside.
Chinese researchers tested whether hibernation could keep severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus in a four-toed hedgehog’s blood. In ten nonhibernating animals, virus remained detectable for 9–11 days after inoculation. Four others were inoculated and kept at 4°C to trigger hibernation. Two emerged on day 15 with virus still in their blood; the other two remained hibernating through day 30 and tested positive then. Their viral loads were close to peak levels measured in nonhibernating hedgehogs.
From this experiment, the researchers suggest hibernation may prolong viremia and help the virus overwinter in the field. Field studies are still needed to test that idea. They also tested transmission between hedgehogs and ticks in the laboratory.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern (LC) · Global (Atelerix albiventris)
The current ASM Mammal Diversity Database record lists the four-toed hedgehog as Least Concern (LC) on the global IUCN Red List. The IUCN species record cited for this assessment is the 2016 edition.