Distribution, perception, and conservation challenges of endemic Madras Hedgehog Paraechinus nudiventris in Tenkasi District, Tamil Nadu: insights from questionnaire surveys

Authors

  • Brawin Kumar Hedgehog Conservation Alliance, 4–58/2, South Street, Swamithoppu, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu 629704, India.
  • Abinesh Muthaiyan Hedgehog Conservation Alliance, 4–58/2, South Street, Swamithoppu, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu 629704, India; & Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India. https://orcid.org/0009-0007-7977-0567

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9545.17.4.26872-26878

Keywords:

Biodiversity, community engagement, conservation strategies, ecological awareness, human-wildlife interaction, traditional knowledge, wildlife protection

Abstract

The distribution patterns, recent sightings and people’s perception of the endemic small mammal, Madras Hedgehog Paraechinus nudiventris of Tenkasi District, Tamil Nadu were identified through questionnaire surveys. This study gathered insights into the perceptions and interactions with 1,141 participants from 38 villages in Tenkasi District, Tamil Nadu. A total of 867 respondents provided valuable information, revealing that 34% had observed hedgehogs in their villages. Notably, 38% people reported night as the optimal time for sighting and while only 11% reported sighting in the afternoon. The rainy season, chosen by 53% of respondents, emerged as the key period for hedgehog sightings, likely associated with hedgehog breeding and increased foraging opportunities. Therefore, the traditional medicinal applications of using various hedgehog body parts, raising critical concerns regarding hunting practices and the ethical treatment of these animals. The combined pressures of increased urbanization, habitat loss, and hunting are contributing to a potential decline in populations of the Madras Hedgehog. Reports of roadkill and poaching urges the need for conservation efforts. The reliance on hedgehogs in local remedies, particularly for conditions such as coughs and rheumatism, exacerbates the threats to their survival. Therefore, these factors necessitate immediate action to implement effective conservation strategies that address both the preservation of this endemic species and the ethical considerations surrounding its use in traditional practices.

Author Biographies

Brawin Kumar, Hedgehog Conservation Alliance, 4–58/2, South Street, Swamithoppu, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu 629704, India.

.

Abinesh Muthaiyan, Hedgehog Conservation Alliance, 4–58/2, South Street, Swamithoppu, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu 629704, India; & Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Puducherry 605014, India.

.

References

Bertolino, S., P. Colangelo, E. Mori & D. Capizzi (2015). Good for management, not for conservation: an overview of research, conservation and management of Italian small mammals. Hystrix 26(1): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-26.1-10263

Hof, A.R. (2009). A study of the current status of the hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus and its decline in Great Britain since 1960. PhD Thesis, University of London.

Hof, A.R. & P.W. Bright (2012). Factors affecting hedgehog presence on farmland as assessed by a questionnaire survey. Acta Theriologica 57: 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-011-0044-y

Jha, C.S. & J.S. Singh (1990). Composition and dynamics of dry tropical forest in relation to soil texture. Journal of Vegetation Sciences 1(5): 609–614. https://doi.org/10.2307/3235566

Kitchenham, B. & S.L. Pfleeger (2002). Principles of survey research part 4: questionnaire evaluation. ACM SIGSOFT. Software Engineering Notes 27(3): 20–23.

Kumar, B., J. Togo & R. Singh (2018a). The South Indian Hedgehog Paraechinus nudiventris (Horsfield, 1851): review of distribution data, additional localities and comments on habitat and conservation. Mammalia 83(4): 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2018-0128

Kumar, B. & V. Nijman (2016). Medicinal uses and trade of Madras Hedgehogs Paraechinus nudiventris in Tamil Nadu, India. Traffic Bulletin 28(1): 7–10.

Kumar, B., S. Babu & H.N. Kumara (2018b). Predicting the potential distribution of the lesser-known endemic Madras Hedgehog Paraechinus nudiventris (Order: Eulipotyphla, Family: Erinaceidae) in southern India. Mammalia 83(5): 470–478. https://doi.org/10.1515/mammalia-2018-0101

Kumara, H.N., S. Mahato, M. Singh, S. Molur & A.D. Velankar (2023). Mammalian diversity, distribution and potential key conservation areas in the Western Ghats. Current Science 124(1): 38–49.

Molur, S., C. Srinivasulu, B. Srinivasulu, S. Walker, P.O. Nameer & L. Ravikumar (2005). Status of South Asian Non-volant Small Mammals: Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) Workshop Report. Zoo Outreach Organization/CBSG-south Asia, Coimbatore, India, 618 pp.

Nameer, P.O., S. Molur & S. Walker (2001). Mammals of Western Ghats: a simplistic overview. Zoos’ Print Journal 16(11): 629–639. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.ZPJ.16.11.629-39

Rangarajan, M. (1998). The role of administration in extermination: fresh evidence on the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus in India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 95: 328–332.

Revenue Administration Jurisdiction, Bifurcation of Tirunelveli District (2019). Creation of Tenkasi new district– ordered – notification under Tamil Nadu District Limits Act, 1865 – Issued. G.O.(Ms). No. 427 Dt: November 12, 2019.

Roopa, S. & M.S. Rani (2012). Questionnaire designing for a survey. Journal of Indian Orthodontic Society 46: 273–277. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10021-1104

Sjöström, O., D. Holst & S.O. Lind (1999). Validity of a questionnaire survey: the role of non-response and incorrect answers. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica 57(5): 242–246. https://doi.org/10.1080/000163599428643

Sirivongs, K. & T. Tsuchiya (2012). Relationship between local residents’ perceptions, attitudes and participation towards national protected areas: a case study of Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area, central Lao PDR. Forest Policy and Economics 21: 92–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2012.04.003

Williams, R.L., R. Stafford & A.E. Goodenough (2015). Biodiversity in urban gardens: assessing the accuracy of citizen science data on garden hedgehogs. Urban Ecosystem 18(3): 819–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-014-0431-7

Downloads

Published

26-04-2025

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 4 (2025)

Section

Communications

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Brawin Kumar, Abinesh Muthaiyan

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT.  This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership.  Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.