UNDER MOONLIT SCRUB

Survival of this hidden guardian tells us whether our scrublands still breathe

- R BRAWIN KUMAR

In the silent nights of Tamil Nadu's red-sand dunes, a tiny spiny ball of life rolls softly through the scrub— guarding the sand dunes, one insect at a time.

It is the Madras hedgehog, one of the country's most overlooked mammals. Also known as the bare-bellied hedgehog, this elusive creature is the southern cousin of the more familiar Indian hedgehog, and is found only in peninsular India, primarily across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka. Despite weighing just 130-315 grams, and having a short lifespan of five to six years, it has mastered survival in some of the harshest and driest landscapes.