The Hainan gymnure is a bizarre, poorly understood hedgehog-like mammal, previously thought to live only on the island of Hainan off China’s southern coast. But recently, scientists found the mammal in Vietnam – hundreds of kilometres away – where it may actually be relatively common.

Gymnures and moonrats are close relatives of the winsome spiky hedgehogs . But, lacking prickles, they resemble rats or opossums . They often reek strongly of garlic or ammonia due to their potent, territory-marking scent glands. Native to Southeast Asian forests, the animals are …