SMALL MAMMALS
OF SOUTHERN
AFRICA

#Atelerix frontalis ,  Their bodies are covered by sharp spines. The average mass of a fully grown male is 350g. The main color is brown but there are other colors too. A Southern African hedgehog is covered with spines all over its body except for its face, belly and ears, and these spines are made of keratin protein with a hollow shaft and a muscle for each spine. These unprotected body parts are covered with fur.

#Phacochoerus africanus ,  The common warthog  is a wild member of the pig family found in grassland, savanna, and woodland in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P. aethiopicus, but today that scientific name is restricted to the desert warthog of northern Kenya, Somalia, and eastern Ethiopia.

#Procavia capensis ,  Also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the dassie  it is one of the five living species of the order Hyracoidea, and the only one in the genus Procavia.

#Oryzorictes hova ,  Also known as the fossorial tenrec or hova rice tenrec, is a species of mammal in the tenrec family. Like all other tenrecs, it is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, swamps, freshwater lakes, irrigated land, and seasonally flooded agricultural land. It is threatened by habitat loss

#Hemicentetes nigriceps ,  an insectivore which lives in the central upland regions of Madagascar. Its black and white striped body is covered with quills, which it will raise when agitated. The spines detach and remain in the body of an inquisitive predator. The highland streaked tenrec uses its long snout to burrow under leaves and bark, searching for earthworms, its primary food.

#Setifer setosus ,  also known as the large Madagascar hedgehog or sokina, is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is endemic to Madagascar.  The prime habitat for greater hedgehog tenrecs are the eastern forests and lower elevations because of their eating habits, but they are found in wet and dry areas.

#Potamochoerus larvatus ,  The bushpig is a member of the pig family that inhabits forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and cultivated areas in East and Southern Africa. Probably introduced populations are also present in Madagascar. There have also been unverified reports of their presence on the Comoro island of Mayotte. Bushpigs are mainly nocturnal. 

#Orycteropus afer ,  A medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike most other insectivores, it has a long pig-like snout, which is used to sniff out food. It roams over most of the southern two-thirds of the African continent, avoiding areas that are mainly rocky. 

#scaly anteaters ,  Pangolins have large, protective keratin scales, similar in material to fingernails and toenails, covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature. They live in hollow trees or burrows, depending on the species. Pangolins are nocturnal, and their diet consists of mainly ants and termites, which they capture using their long tongues.

#Echinops telfairi ,  The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae.

It is the only species in the genus Echinops and is named in honour of Charles Telfair. The lesser hedgehog tenrec is a small, stout-bodied animal similar to the hedgehog, hence the name. Their tails are short, their limbs and muzzles are of moderate length, and their ears are prominent. The entire dorsum is covered with sharp spines.

#Hemicentetes semispinosus ,  The lowland streaked tenrec is a small tenrec found in Madagascar. The species is found in tropical lowland rain forest, in the northern and eastern parts of Madagascar. It can be found on land, splashing in shallow waters or digging underground.

#Tenrec ecaudatus ,   also known as the common tenrec, is a species of mammal in the family Tenrecidae. It is the only member of the genus Tenrec. Native to Madagascar,  it is also found in the Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, and Seychelles, where it has been introduced.