Proterix

Proterix is an extinct genus of erinaceid mammal from the Late Oligocene to the Early Miocene of North America.

Ecology
Proterix was most likely a burrowing insectivore. The original reference suggests reduced limbs may be possible, due to the unusually high number of lumbar vertebrae, but cautions that conclusions must be reserved until a complete skeleton is found. This proposal was exaggerated in a popular science book by Dougal Dixon, which speculated that it may have been a limbless mammal with an armored head. Though very little of the post-cranial skeleton has been found, this situation is typical for mammals and not an indicator of unusual anatomy.