Life's A Zoo with Mallory Clark webisode two

Life's A Zoo with MAllory Clark webisode two

Today Mallory is at ZooWorld in Panama City Beach, Fl highlighting a curious creature from Central to Eastern Africa, the African Pygmy Hedgehog. Life's A Zoo is a media based education program aimed to share interesting facts about conservation and zoology in the form of mini webisodes. Our mission is to spread wildlife conservation, education, and research to all ages through media and public interaction. . .basically get the public interested and involved. For more information about Life's A Zoo and Mallory Clark visit www.malloryclark.com or www.faceookcom/ms.malloryclark

Intereating facts about African Pygmy Hedgehog




The African pygmy hedgehog is indeed a curious creature that is native to Africa but can be found in zoos (and homes) around the globe. Weighing in at around 1 -- 1.5 lbs (0.5 - 0.7 kg), this tiny little critter usually averages from 6-8 inches (15 - 20 cm) in length and has a pointed snout, round (dark) eyes, and unbarbed spines that serve as hair on their sides and backs. Oddly enough, the African pygmy hedgehog has four toes on its back feet but five on its front. While this hedgehog has relatively keen eyesight, they depend more on their acute and overdeveloped sense of hearing and smell to detect tasty morsels for dinner that can be buried more than two inches below the ground. The lifespan of the African pygmy hedgehog is around two to three years in the wild, or as many as ten years in captivity.


The African pygmy hedgehog is a nocturnal creature that begins foraging at dusk and continues to do so through most of the night, but always in a solitary fashion. In fact, male African pygmy hedgehogs stay at least 60 feet (18 m) apart from one another. Hedgehogs have a unique circular skin muscle (orbicularis panniculi) that forms a protective "bag" for the animal when contracted and causes its sharp spines to become erect.

Odd Behavior
This pygmy hedgehog has a unique behavior of "self-anointing"; self-anointing occurs when the hedgehog discovers a unique scent or taste -- he will react by creating a frothy type of saliva that he proceeds to spread across his body. Scientists are unsure if the African pygmy self-anoints in preparation for mate selection or in self defense.

Produced, edited, and graphics by Chasen Grieshop

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Life's A Zoo
• Mallory Clark
• Chasen Grieshop
• ZooWorld
• Zoo
• Animals
• conservation
• hedgehog

[nnennaigbokwe]

wow you dont know much at all