The
gymnure, also called a
hairy hedgehog or
moonrat, is a type of
mammal belonging to the subfamily
Galericinae, in the family
Erinaceidae and the order
Eulipotyphla. Gymnures resemble
rats, although they are more closely related to
hedgehogs. They are thought to have appeared in Eastern Asia before their closest relatives, and changed little from the original ancestor, which is thought to have been also the ancestor of the
shrews.