Unusual dark hedgehog from eastern China is new to science

Scientists have recognized a brand new species of hedgehog: a darkish brown creature that dwells within the forests of jap China.

In 2018, Kai He at Guangzhou College, China, and his colleagues stumbled throughout some mysterious-looking hedgehogs within the provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang. In contrast with the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), these had darker brown fur and spines, in addition to barely bigger ears.

After analysing seven of the animals, together with their DNA samples, the researchers concluded that they belonged to a species that hadn’t been scientifically described earlier than, which they named Mesechinus orientalis.

The 4 different identified species within the Mesechinus genus primarily reside in northern China, Mongolia and Russia, whereas the species M. hughi resides in south-west China.

“It’s fairly attention-grabbing that this forest hedgehog was discovered over 1000 kilometres away from its identified distribution,” says He.

Weighing just below 340 grams and measuring 18.8 centimetres lengthy, on common, M. orientalis is barely smaller than the opposite identified hedgehogs in its genus.

Like different hedgehogs, M. orientalis is a nocturnal species that tends to feed on bugs and fruit. It additionally hibernates throughout winter.

Thus far, the workforce has solely discovered M. orientalis in two Chinese language provinces. Based mostly on the numbers recorded up to now, although, it isn’t regarded as endangered, says He, who estimates there are most likely a number of hundred people in these provinces.

There have been solely 17 identified species of hedgehogs globally, “so we had been fairly completely satisfied that we elevated that by one”, he says.

“For a real hedgehog nerd like myself, that is astonishing information,” says Sophie Lund Rasmussen on the College of Oxford. “I sit up for studying extra concerning the species’ ecology and whether or not this additionally differs in comparison with the opposite species of hedgehogs within the nation.”