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The hedgehog family tree is growing by leaps and bounds as we close out 2023. A recent study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society has unveiled five new species of soft-furred hedgehogs native to Southeast Asia. This groundbreaking discovery was made through DNA analysis and examination of museum specimens dating back decades.
[Related: Why Danish citizen scientists were on a quest to find the oldest European hedgehog.]
Unique among hedgehogs, soft-furred hedgehogs–or gymnures–are diminutive members of the hedgehog family clothed in soft fur rather than spines. Not rodents like many suppose, they sport a pointy snout akin to their relatives. The known species count has now been revised from two to seven thanks to this recent study.
The newfound species are part of a subset of soft-furred hedgehogs known as Hylomys, inhabiting Southeast Asia. Among them, two are entirely new species and are named Hylomys vorax and Hylomys macarong. These distinctive creatures are endemic to the Leuser Ecosystem, an endangered and incredibly biodiverse tropical rainforest in North Sumatra and Southern Vietnam.
“It might be surprising for people to hear that there are still undiscovered mammals out there. But there is a lot we don’t know—especially the smaller nocturnal animals that can be difficult to tell apart from one another.”
-Evolutionary biologist Arlo Hinckley
H. macarong is ash-brown and measures roughly 5.5 inches in length. Its name—Ma cà rồng—is a Vietnamese term for “vampire,” a nod to the males’ fang-like incisors. Field research is required to understand the purpose of these fangs, but their larger size suggests a potential role in sexual selection. Males also display rust-colored chest markings, potentially stained by scent glands.
H. vorax is slightly smaller at 4.7 inches and is also dark-furred with a slender snout and distinctive black tail. It is believed to dwell exclusively on the slopes of Mount Leuser in Northern Sumatra and was christened after a description noted by mammalogist Frederick Ulmer.
“They were voracious beasts often devouring the whole bait before springing the trap,” Ulmer wrote. “Ham rind, coconut, meat, and walnuts were eaten. One shrew partially devoured the chicken head bait of a steel trap before getting caught in a nearby Schuyler trap baited with ham rind.”
Three other subspecies have since been upgraded to full species status. A subspecies designates a smaller group within a species deemed distinct from other groups.