Very few people have seen the elusive Madras Hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventris). It is nocturnal and till now believed to occupy only a restricted geographical range encompassing parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. The population of the species and the state of its habitats remain little understood.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had earlier classified the Madras Hedgehog, also known as the bare-bellied hedgehog, as being “vulnerable” and put it on its red list. A few years ago, the IUCN placed it on the list of “least concern” after the presence and occurrence of the species was recorded in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Prediction models
However, R. Brawin Kumar, of the Hedgehog Conservation Alliance, remains unconvinced. “There has been very little research done to ascertain the population of the species. Its geographical range and the state of its habitats as well as the threats they face are also poorly understood,” he says. Along with William T. Bean, he recently attempted to understand the distribution of the elusive mammal, using habitat prediction models. The findings were published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, titled ‘The past and current distribution of the lesser-known Indian endemic Madras Hedgehog’.
“The Madras Hedgehog population is declining primarily owing to trade, habitat loss, medicinal uses, and hunting. According to studies from 2013, the species is declining fast enough to qualify for being listed in a more threatened category,” Mr. Kumar says.
In their paper, the researchers note that the species occurs only in the southern and central parts of Tamil Nadu in grasslands and “dry, open landscapes”, with a few records from the high altitude mountains of the Western Ghats. “The first approach towards understanding the status of the Madras Hedgehog is to assess its distribution… its habitat includes thorny areas, semi-dryland, bushy deserts, grasslands, edges of cultivated areas, and dried ponds. Thus, knowledge of their ecological niche and their present and past distribution is key to better understanding the impact of climate change and the magnitude of population decline… In addition to its restricted distribution and declining population, understanding the Madras Hedgehog’s ecological niche and distribution is crucial for effective conservation planning,” the authors note in the report.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Kumar says studying the species is a challenge because of a number of factors. “The species is known for its shy, elusive behaviour, and often hides in dense vegetation. They also occupy a diverse range of habitats, some of which are found in rocky, densely vegetated terrain, and it could also be possible that the species has low population densities, making encounters with people infrequent.”
To come up with a potential distribution map, the researchers collected records from field surveys carried out between June 2013 and June 2022. They also reviewed literature on the occurrence of the species from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.
“Additionally, reports from newspapers on hedgehog sightings between 2000 and 2022 were gathered, with datasets being cross-verified. Thirteen districts in Tamil Nadu — Dindigul, Salem, Theni, Erode, Madurai, Karur, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, and Virudhunagar — were visited, and surveys were conducted to find direct and indirect evidence of Paraechinus nudiventris,” according to the researchers.
Most suitable climate
Using Maxent, a software meant for modelling the niches and distribution of species, the researchers found that the most suitable climate for the species was in western and southern Tamil Nadu, with a second, disjunct area of suitable climate appearing in western Andhra Pradesh and eastern Karnataka, where there are no known records of the species.
“The species could potentially populate western and southern districts of Tamil Nadu such as Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Theni, Madurai, Dindigul, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris, Erode, Salem, Karur, and Namakkal, and a patchy isolated suitable habitat in Andhra Pradesh (Adoni and Yemmiganur),” says Mr. Kumar.
The study predicts the suitable habitat in the coastal Teri dunes, near coastal dunes, and inland dunes at the foothills of the Western Ghats of southern and western Tamil Nadu. Additionally, the Korangaadu grasslands, semi-arid pasture lands, and dryland are predicted as suitable habitats in Tamil Nadu, the researchers note.
“The dryland of the plains acts as a suitable habitat and these habitats are in danger. The conservation of dryland and their associated habitats, such as grasslands and lower elevation forests with unique soil types (Teri red soil) in Tamil Nadu, holds the most promise for identifying and protecting suitable habitats for this hedgehog species. If conservation happens [in these areas], all associated flora and fauna will stand to benefit in these regions,” says Mr. Kumar.
Published – September 05, 2024 11:58 pm IST
