Taxon name
Paraechinus aethiopicus
(Ehrenberg, 1832)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Paraechinus aethiopicus
(Ehrenberg, 1832)
Assessed taxon level
Species
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Species authority
(Ehrenberg, 1832)
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
United Arab Emirates (the)
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
United Arab Emirates (the)
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Least concern
Criteria system used
IUCN
(see Assessment details)
Assessment rationale/justification
This is a widespread and common species in the UAE and, although declining in some areas due to loss of habitat, it is still common, hence listed as Least Concern. There is no need for a regional adjustment of the category.
Assessment details
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
UAE National Red List Workshop
Criteria system used
IUCN
Reference for methods given
IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1, Second edition. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. iv + 32pp pp. And IUCN. 2012. Guidelines for Application of IUCN Red List Criteria at Regional and National Levels: Version 4.0. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iii + 41pp.
URL (link) of redlist assessment or publication
https://www.moccae.gov.ae/assets/download/b352eff1/UNRL%20of%20Mammals%20-%20Report%202019.pdf.aspx?view=true
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
This is the most widespread species of hedgehog in the UAE, occurring in a wide range of habitats except mobile dunes. It has been introduced to several islands in Abu Dhabi (Aspinall et al. 2005, Drew and Tourenq 2005). The species occurs in most of the Arabian Peninsula and is also widely distributed in North and Northeast Africa from Morocco and Mauritania to Sudan and Ethiopia, as well as the Middle East (Hutterer 2016).
Is there a map available in assessment?
Yes
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Habitat
Habitat details as listed in assessment
Recorded in gardens, cultivation, oases, vegetated wadis, plains and deserts (Aspinall et al. 2005). Nocturnal and becomes less active during the hottest summer months.
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
The species may be impacted by the loss of habitat through urban development, though residential development including gardens may increase available habitat. It is frequently seen as a road casualty.
History
Whilst Hornby (1996) assessed the species as Near Threatened, we consider it likely that the appropriate category would have been Least Concern in 1996.
Publication
Mallon, D., Hilton-Taylor, C., Allen, D., & Harding, K. (2019). UAE National Red List of Mammals: Marine and Terrestrial. A report to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates (p. 41). IUCN Global Species Programme. https://bit.ly/2RdZCQR
