The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper
Hedgehog found in Cotabato
KIDAPAWAN CITY – A villager have found a hedgehog in North Cotabato’s town of Aleosan further bolstering reports of exotic animals inhabiting the province’s forests.
The villager, Edwin Querido, said he found the small animal in the village of San Mateo and brought it to the office of
Mayor Vicente Sorupia Jr. He said it was the first time he saw such an animal.
The spiny mammal, which only weighs 300 grams and 14 centimeters long, was handed over to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and will be turned over to the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center in the town of Lutayan in Sultan Kudarat province.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources warned citizens that traffic of exotic wildlife is illegal under Republic Act 9147 o the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals with coneshaped faces, short legs and bodies that are covered with porcupine-like quills. Despite their similar appearances, porcupines and hedgehogs are not closely related.
Unlike porcupines, hedgehog quills are not easily detached from their bodies, according to Animal Planet. Hedgehog quills are made from keratin, much like human nails. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, a hedgehog can have as many 6,000 quills on its body.
They can live in a wide range of habitats, including savannahs, forests, deserts, scrublands and even suburban gardens. Hedgehog homes are usually burrows and nests made from leaves, branches and other vegetation they build themselves.