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Animal profile

Greater Moonrat

Echinosorex gymnura

MammaliaLowland rainforest, swamp forest, mangrove and riverbanksLeast Concern

Field profile

The greater moonrat is a large, shaggy, black-and-white insectivore of Southeast Asian forests, related to hedgehogs but entirely without spines. It forages at night along wet ground and streambanks for invertebrates. It is best known for a powerful ammonia-like odour.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-11-05

Greater Moonrat

The moonrat is a hedgehog relative with no spines at all

It sits in the hedgehog family Erinaceidae, among the gymnures or hairy hedgehogs, and carries coarse fur instead of quills. Its defence is chemical: a pungent, ammonia-like scent marked along its trails.

Read with evidence →

Greater Moonrat | Daily Animal Facts