Guide to hedgehog species around the world

Not being a biologist, this is my best attempt at categorizing the various hedgehog species throughout the world. In doing the research for this page, I have found that there is a lot of discussion and disagreement about the categorization for the four genera (Atelerix, Erinaceus, Hemiechinus, and Paraechinus). I reserve the right to stand corrected!

For those of you wanting to learn more about European hedgehogs, the European Hedgehog Research Group is a great place to start.

Whenever possible, photos or illustrations of the different species are provided, but with all the ruckus about the classification of different species, the photos can be hard to come by. Clicking on the scientific names will open the Smithsonian Institution's Mammals of the World entry for that species in a new browser window.

African species

• White-bellied or four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), also occasionally found in parts of southern Europe, crossed with the Algerian hedgehog to produce the domesticated African hedgehog
• Algerian hedgehog (Atelerix algirus), crossed with the White-bellied hedgehog to produce the domesticated African hedgehog
• Somali hedgehog (Atelerix sclateri)
• South African hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis, sometimes referred to as Pruner's hedgehog or A. pruneri)
• Ethiopian hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus)
• Egyptian, long-eared or desert hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus), also found in the Middle East

European species

• European or brown-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
• Eastern European hedgehog or white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor)
• White-bellied or four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), more commonly found in Africa

Asian species

• Chinese or Amur hedgehog (Erinaceus amurensis)
• Central Chinese or Hugh's hedgehog (Mesechinus hughi)
• Daurian hedgehog (Mesechinus daurricus)
• Indian hedgehog (Hemiechinus micropus)
• Southern Indian Hedgehog (Hemiechinus nudiventris)

Middle Eastern species

• Egyptian, long-eared or desert hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus), also found in Africa
• Hardwicke's hedgehog (Hemiechinus collaris)
• Brandt's hedgehog (Hemiechinus hypomelas)