Due to the urbanization and human invasion of the natural environments,
a great deal of changes have occurred on the food composition and
feeding ecology of several animals especially those are sharing humans
their habitats in fields, wadis and gardens. The Desert Hedgehogs
Paraechinus aethiopicus populations inhabiting different localities in
Saudi Arabia were studied by using stomach contents analysis between
February 2015 and October 2019. Precise analysis of 55 stomach contents
of hedgehogs showed that the food of The Desert Hedgehogs Paraechinus
aethiopicus is highly diverse and highly influenced with effect of
humans on the environment includes cooked rice, insects, plant
materials, egg shells, worms, garbage and remains of mammals and birds.
Diet composition showed seasonal variations that are apparently
associated with changes in the availability of different food items. The
present results clearly showed that The Desert Hedgehogs Paraechinus
aethiopicus is a generalist animal, capable of adapting to a great
variety of dietary compositions in the study sites.