The Algerian Hedgehog is one of the few mammals that inhabit the Maltese Islands. There are 17 species of hedgehogs in the world, four of them in Africa. The Algerian Hedgehog is found from Morocco to Libya and is the only African species of hedgehog that is found outside Africa. It was introduced in Spain and France and on the islands off the coast of Africa, such as the Canary Islands and Malta.

Its Maltese name is derived from Arabic (Qunfud) and the Maltese word was first listed by De Soldanis. There are various Maltese expressions which compare one to the hedgehog - none of them are very complimentary! The English name was coined in the Middle Ages, and, as the name implies, means a hog that lives in hedges.

The hedgehog’s diet usually consists of a variety of insects and snails, and occasionally some small vertebrates. Like other mammals, the hedgehog relies on scent both to find its mate and to detect food. Hedgehogs often make purring noises when they are content.

Hedgehogs are unmistakable because of their shape and spines, which are essentially hollow hairs of stiff keratin filled with pockets of air. The spines act as a means of defence against its predators. The hedgehog rolls itself into a tight ball when threatened, with its spines pointing outwards. Hedgehogs also raise their quills and make hissing noises when alarmed.

Not much is known about the breeding biology of wild hedgehogs, primarily because, being primarily nocturnal animals, they are active mostly at night. Their breeding season runs between October and March. The gestation period of the Algerian hedgehog ranges from 30 to 40 days. A female can bear between three and 10 hoglets and can have two litters in a season. Hoglets are born blind, but gain vision quickly. The spines begin to erupt from underneath the skin and cover their body within 36 hours after birth. Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity at about eight to ten weeks of age and they do not mate for life or engage in pair-bonding.

In the wild, the Algerian Hedgehog lives up to seven years. Many have their life cut short on our roads, especially country roads, when they are run over by cars. It does not require much of an effort to avoid killing these animals and efforts should be made to avoid them. Stopping and waiting for them to cross the road is the best option. They are quite fast and one won’t have to wait for very long actually!

Some people still catch hedgehogs to keep them in their backyards. Apart from being a protected species, hedgehogs also harbour a lot of parasites such as fleas and bloodsuckers. Needless to say, fleas can be particularly harmful to humans.

So the next time you see a hedgehog crossing the street, enjoy watching it, or drive off and avoid hitting it.

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Photos by Natalino Fenech