What is this curious wee beastie hiding in the grass? Let’s get closer!

Ta da! It’s a long-eared hedgehog! 😀 Like last week’s animal, the long-eared hedgehog can be found throughout Central Asia. It does not live at particularly high elevations, but its range is wide–from Mongolia, across the Central Asian nations, into the Middle East and found as far south as Egypt. They prefer to live in arid steppes, deserts, and semi-deserts.

This little creature is predominantly insectivorous and may also eat small invertebrates (like lizards). They are not harmful to agricultural areas and can indeed be beneficial to humans because they eat things like termites and scorpions. However, they can also carry the plague, so although they are adorable–IMO–they shouldn’t be captured from the wild. Their key predator is the eagle owl (various types across its range).

Now let’s admire these cuties a little more, hey?