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Algerian Hedgehog (Atelerix Algirus Lereboullet, 1842) Habitat Selection at the Northern Limit of Its Range

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Algerian Hedgehog (Atelerix Algirus Lereboullet, 1842) Habitat Selection at the Northern Limit of Its Range Galemys, 26 : xx-xx, 2014 ISSN 1137-8700 e-ISSN 2254-8408 DOI: 10.7325/Galemys.2014.A5 Algerian hedgehog (Atelerix algirus Lereboullet, 1842) habitat selection at the northern limit of its range Sergi García-Rodríguez* & Xavier Puig-Montserrat Galanthus. Centre per a l’Estudi i la Divulgació del Medi Ambient, Crta. de Juià, 46, 17460 Celrà, Girona, Spain * Corresponding author: [email protected] Abstract The Algerian hedgehog is an endemic, Mediterranean, insectivorous mammal which inhabits North Africa, the Eastern Iberian Peninsula, the Canary and Balearic Islands and several Mediterranean islands. Given evidence of population declines coupled with the limited information available on this species, studies are needed to contribute to a better understanding of this hedgehog. With this aim, and in particular to understand biological aspects as well as those of habitat selection, 14 Algerian hedgehogs were radio tracked in the species’ northern limit of distribution, (Baix Llobregat, a coastal district lying a few kilometres south of Barcelona City) between 2007 and 2010. The results showed that Algerian hedgehogs positively selected open grass areas and scrubs, and used fields when available, while rejecting forest and urban areas. No evidence for sex or age related patterns emerged from the data regarding home range size and overlap between individuals, although adult males have larger home ranges and move longer distances per hour than females. Keywords: Algerian hedgehog, crops, habitat selection, open areas, radio tracking. Resumen El erizo moruno es un mamífero insectívoro, endémico de la cuenca mediterránea y cuya área de distribución comprende el norte de África, la costa mediterránea de la Península Ibérica, las Islas Canarias, Baleares y algunas otras islas del Mediterráneo. Dada la evidencia de cierto declive de las poblaciones, sumado al poco o nulo conocimiento que se tiene de la especie, se hace evidente la necesidad de acometer estudios que arrojen luz sobre su situación y biología. Con este propósito y especialmente para conocer aspectos relacionados con la selección de hábitat, se marcaron con radio-emisores, entre 2007 y 2010, 14 individuos del sector costero más septentrional de su área de distribución mediterránea, en concreto en la comarca del Baix Llobregat, a pocos kilómetros de la ciudad de Barcelona. Los resultados muestran que los erizos morunos seleccionan positivamente espacios abiertos ocupados por herbazales y matorral bajo, los campos de cultivo serían utilizados a disponibilidad, mientras que rechazarían bosque y zonas urbanas. Según los datos obtenidos no hay patrones significativamente diferentes en el uso del espacio entre sexos y edades, aunque los machos utilizan espacios mayores y tienen una movilidad mayor que las hembras. Palabras clave: cultivos, erizo moruno, espacios abiertos, radio tracking, selección hábitat. Introduction to very light ones, but the face and abdomen are usually whitish (Blanco 1998). According to our The Algerian hedgehog is a nocturnal and own observations, this species escapes when it is terrestrial insectivorous mammal, member of the threatened, unlike the European hedgehog, rather Erinaceidae family, which comprises 10 genera than closing into a tight ball with the spines and 24 species. The Algerian hedgehog is smaller directed outward - the typical hedgehog strategy. It than the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus feeds on insects, worms, snails, fruits, carrion and Linnaeus, 1758), with larger ears and limbs occasionally small vertebrates. Although hedgehogs (Macdonald & Barret 2005), and a coloration in captivity do not hibernate, they do so in the highly variable ranging from very dark specimens wild. During hibernation, body temperature falls 1 Galemys 26, 2014 from about 35ºC to between 15ºC and 20ºC information can help to define future conservation (Merrit 2010). It is a Mediterranean endemism, strategies, if its population decline is indeed inhabiting North Africa, the Canary and Balearic confirmed. With the aim of better understanding Islands and other Mediterranean islands, as well as habitat selections and spatial use patterns of the the Iberian Mediterranean Coast, with a remarkable Algerian hedgehog, 14 individuals were radio- penetration into the Central Catalan Depression. tracked on the Central Catalan coast, south of the Aridity determines its distribution in its Iberian Llobregat river (Barcelona). Taken together with range, becoming rare or disappearing where mean those of the Central Catalan Depression, this area annual rainfalls rises above 600 mm (Ruiz-Romero represents the northernmost European range of the 1995). It is therefore considered a dry and warm Algerian Hedgehog (García 2010). Mediterranean species, inhabiting open spaces such as cultivated fields, almond and olive plantations, or scrub and also pinewoods (Ruiz-Romero 1995). Material and methods This habitat preference coincides with that of African populations, which thrive mostly in arid Study area scrub (Corbet 1988). The study area belongs to the Baix Llobregat It was introduced in recent times, around the Agricultural Park (BLLAP) and the Campus of 13th century CE during the Almohad Dynasty, the Polytechnic University of Catalunya (PUC), on the Balearic islands, according to evidence from both sites located some 20 km south of the city of fossil records and documentary data (Morales Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, in the north-east of & Rofes 2008). The origin of its presence in the the Iberian Peninsula (41º 16’ - 41º 17’ N; 1º 58’ - Iberian Peninsula and Southern France as well as 2º 01’ E). The annual average rainfall is 628.6 mm in many Mediterranean islands is also probably and the annual average temperature is 15.6ºC. The due to artificial introductions (Lapini 1999). landscape of the study area, although a suburban Whatever their origin, the Iberian and Balearic district, is mainly agricultural, with plots to a greater populations are legally protected by Spanish law or lesser extent separated by hedges or fences. There and included in the List of Wildlife Species with also are stands of Aleppo pine, (Pinus halepensis Special Protection Regime in the Spanish Catalogue Mill.) and Stone pine (Pinus pinea Linnaeus, 1753) of Endangered Species (Real Decreto 139/2011). with small plots of Black poplars (Populus nigra, According to the UICN assessment information, Linnaeus, 1753). Some agricultural plots are not there are insufficient data available to be able to in use or are left fallow, and so a dense herbaceous estimate population densities (Amori et al. 2008). cover has developed. The PUC Campus is an ancient However, Algerian hedgehog populations appear to agricultural area partially converted into gardens, have declined and the species has even disappeared with a large area of grass around a large artificial pond, in some places where it had been cited in the past although also featuring plots with dense herbaceous decades (Alcover 2007). In fact there are no recent cover, similar to those in the BLLAP. recordings of the Algerian hedgehog north of the Llobregat river (García 2010) and the Southern French populations that once existed now seem Radio-tracking to be extinct (Lapini 1999, Amori et al. 2008). The study was conducted between July and In the southern range of its Iberian distribution October from 2007 to 2010 using 14 Algerian a regressive trend has been observed, which has hedgehogs (7 males and 7 females), found and led to its inclusion in the Threatened Species list caught with the aid of a tracking dog during night in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia transects, which were equipped with backpack (Soriguer & Palomo 2001). The habitat loss is radio tags (TW-3 single celled, Biotrack Ltd., UK). the possible cause of the retreat of its European Before release, the animals were weighed and sexed. populations. However, despite the existence of The hedgehogs were classified as juveniles when the some studies, there is not enough available data for weight was less than 400 grams, the rest as adults. this species, on, for example, habitat selection in In Sweden the European hedgehog juvenile body its range, something which could clarify the issue weight increased linearly from about 280 grams and help solve problems affecting certain isolated in summer to about 600 g before hibernation populations. In summary, compiling this kind of (Kristiansson 1984). The Algerian hedgehog body 2 Algerian hedgehog habitat selection S. García-Rodríguez & X. Puig-Montserrat weight also increased linearly, but his weight is about disturbed); and Water (canals and ponds) (Fig. 1), 40% lower than the European hedgehog. According the difference between Open and Crop being the Alcover (2007) Algerian hedgehog weights ranging herbaceous or shrubby coverage, which was close from 280 grams to 657 grams, however we have to 100% in the Open category, and the lack of found a male that weighed 865 grams. The tag was protective vegetation stratum in the Crop category. glued to the back spikes using cyanoacrylate and an All fixes were then assigned to one of the habitats activator. Permits and procedures were approved categories described (Bontadina et al. 2002). The by the Wildlife Department of the Generalitat de Water category was not calculated in the selection Catalunya. The radio receivers used were multi- analysis because, despite accounting for 4.5% of the band ICOM R-20 (ICOM INC., Japan) equipped population MCP, it was not used by any individual. with a
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