Long-eared Hedgehog

Long-eared Hedgehog

Hemiechinus auritus

Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Bishkek

In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%

7 Verified sightings at Bishkek
7 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Long-eared Hedgehog

The long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) is a species of hedgehog native to Central Asian countries and some countries of the Middle East. The long-eared hedgehog lives in burrows that it either makes or finds and is distinguished by its long ears. It is considered one of the smallest Middle Eastern hedgehogs. This hedgehog is insectivorous but may also feed on small vertebrates and plants. In captivity they can live for over 7 years. Wild hedgehogs have been found to carry Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the brown dog tick, which can transmit Boutonneuse fever.

The length of the head and body of the long-eared hedgehog is approximately 120–270 mm, and the tail is 10–50 mm long. The skull is about 38–48 mm long. Unlike other species the pterygoids of the skull do not inflate and they do not relay information to the tympanic membrane. The ears of this hedgehog are 30–45 mm longer than the closest spine. They are used for heat radiation in the desert. Long-eared hedgehogs have great senses of hearing and smell that they use to hunt out food and detect predators.

The long-eared hedgehog's spines are embedded in a unique muscle sheath that forms a bag-like structure which... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Recording0:03

Israel · 2021

© kfirzi · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
~40%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bishkek 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
~30%
2 Tel Aviv 🇮🇱 Israel
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates In captivity

Closest Relatives at Bishkek

No species of the same family or order lives in Bishkek, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Long-eared Hedgehog in Bishkek?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Long-eared Hedgehog sighting in Bishkek on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Long-eared Hedgehog in Bishkek?

August

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Long-eared Hedgehog in Bishkek on a given day, against under 5% in June, the lowest month. That is one of Bishkek's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 60 mm in April.

What time of day is best to see a Long-eared Hedgehog?

Between 5 and 8 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Long-eared Hedgehog sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Bishkek the best place to see a Long-eared Hedgehog?

Yes

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Long-eared Hedgehog sightings, Bishkek has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Tel Aviv (Israel, about 10%).

Where does the Long-eared Hedgehog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Long-eared Hedgehog is recorded against all the mammals logged in Bishkek (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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