Fact of the Day : What kind of animal is a moonrat? (from The Encyclopedia of Mammals)
Hedgehogs and Moonrats
The hedgehog is one of the most familiar wild mammals seen in the European landscape and also among the most thoroughly studied in the field. One reason for this familiarity is the hedgehog's intriguing defensive adaptation against predators.
Not all hedgehogs, though, live in close proximity to humans in densely populated Europe. Some species range the dry steppes and deserts of Africa and the Middle East. The rather poorly known moonrats and gymnures, hedgehog relatives that are lacking spines, inhabit the humid forests of south Asia and exhibit behavior more akin to that of the elusive shrews.
Spiny and Spineless
Form and Function
Hedgehogs, moonrats, and gymnures are plantigrade animals, which means that at each step the entire sole of the foot makes contact with the ground. They have an elongated head and snout, a small brain case, and well-developed eyes and ears. Males and females generally look alike, but the distance between the anus and genitals is longer in the males. Hedgehogs have 2–3 incisors, 1 canine, 2–4 premolars, and 3 molar teeth on each half dental arch, and the first incisor is usually larger than the others.
The spiny coat covering the back and the crown of the head makes hedgehogs unmistakable (see Spines and Curling in Hedgehogs). The spines have sharp tips, and incorporate many small internal cavities to reduce weight. The basal portion is flexible and works as a shock absorber if the hedgehog is hit hard. Spines normally lie flat along the back: each is erected by a single muscle (as is true of hairs in all mammals), and when lifted they crisscross and support each other. Hedgehogs' underparts are furry rather than spiny, which prevents the animals from spiking themselves when they roll up.
Hedgehogs have other features that distinguish them from moonrats and gymnures, including a larger number of mammae (4–5 as opposed to 2–4); they also lack the well-developed anal glands that, in moonrats and gymnures, produce an unpleasant odor that presumably assists in deterring predators. Hedgehogs have powerful front limbs and strong claws that they can use to dig when they are searching for food or constructing nest burrows; they cannot run very quickly – the maximum speed reported is around 10km/h (6mph) – but they can easily climb over such obstacles as wire-netting fences. Moonrats and gymnures move much more speedily, in the manner of large shrews; however, they are also much less efficient at digging.
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Having spines reduces the requirement for hedgehogs to run for cover, which means that they are relatively easy to spot in gardens, prime habitat in which to amble about on lawns looking for tasty beetles, worms, and other invertebrate prey. However, the habit of not running has ill-served them in the age of the motor vehicle and nowadays they are as common a sight – dead or dying – by the roadside as they are in the garden.
Not all hedgehogs, though, live in close proximity to humans in densely populated Europe. Some species range the dry steppes and deserts of Africa and the Middle East. The rather poorly known moonrats and gymnures, hedgehog relatives that are lacking spines, inhabit the humid forests of south Asia and exhibit behavior more akin to that of the elusive shrews.
Spiny and Spineless
Form and Function
Hedgehogs, moonrats, and gymnures are plantigrade animals, which means that at each step the entire sole of the foot makes contact with the ground. They have an elongated head and snout, a small brain case, and well-developed eyes and ears. Males and females generally look alike, but the distance between the anus and genitals is longer in the males. Hedgehogs have 2–3 incisors, 1 canine, 2–4 premolars, and 3 molar teeth on each half dental arch, and the first incisor is usually larger than the others.
The spiny coat covering the back and the crown of the head makes hedgehogs unmistakable (see Spines and Curling in Hedgehogs). The spines have sharp tips, and incorporate many small internal cavities to reduce weight. The basal portion is flexible and works as a shock absorber if the hedgehog is hit hard. Spines normally lie flat along the back: each is erected by a single muscle (as is true of hairs in all mammals), and when lifted they crisscross and support each other. Hedgehogs' underparts are furry rather than spiny, which prevents the animals from spiking themselves when they roll up.
Hedgehogs have other features that distinguish them from moonrats and gymnures, including a larger number of mammae (4–5 as opposed to 2–4); they also lack the well-developed anal glands that, in moonrats and gymnures, produce an unpleasant odor that presumably assists in deterring predators. Hedgehogs have powerful front limbs and strong claws that they can use to dig when they are searching for food or constructing nest burrows; they cannot run very quickly – the maximum speed reported is around 10km/h (6mph) – but they can easily climb over such obstacles as wire-netting fences. Moonrats and gymnures move much more speedily, in the manner of large shrews; however, they are also much less efficient at digging.
More....http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-09-19
