# Hedgehog — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Erinaceinae*

> A hedgehog is a small spiny insectivorous mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae; there are 17 species across Europe, Asia and Africa, and the widespread European hedgehog was listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List in 2024 after sharp declines.

**IUCN status:** Varies by species (Least Concern to Endangered); the widespread European hedgehog is now Near Threatened  ·  **WARN range:** Europe, Asia, Africa

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Lifespan | ~3 years in the wild (up to 10+) |
| Weight | ~400 g to over 1 kg (varies by species) |
| Size | ~20–30 cm body length |
| Diet | Insectivore (beetles, worms, slugs, caterpillars) |
| Gestation | ~31–35 days |
| Young per litter | Usually 4–6 (range 2–10) |
| Baby name | Hoglet |
| Group / collective noun | Sometimes called an array; hedgehogs are solitary |
| Spines | ~5,000–7,000 on an adult European hedgehog |
| CITES | Not listed (no CITES Appendix listing for the group) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Eulipotyphla
- **Family:** Erinaceidae
- **Subfamily:** Erinaceinae
- **Genera:** Erinaceus, Atelerix, Hemiechinus, Mesechinus, Paraechinus

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Near Threatened (European hedgehog); varies by species
- **Population:** No global total; many species widespread, but the European hedgehog has declined sharply in much of its range
- **Trend:** Decreasing for the European hedgehog (~30% in 10 years in parts of Western Europe)
- **Assessed:** 2023
- **CITES:** Not listed in CITES Appendices
- Status differs across the 17 species; the figures cited here are for the widely studied European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), listed Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List in 2024.

## Key facts: Hedgehog
- Hedgehogs are not one species but a group of 17, united by their spines and curl-up defence.
- They are insectivores at heart, eating beetles, earthworms, slugs, caterpillars and other invertebrates.
- Spines are modified hairs without barbs, so unlike a porcupine a hedgehog cannot shoot or shed them at will.
- The European hedgehog was moved to Near Threatened in 2024 after declines approaching or exceeding 30% in a decade.
- Roads, pesticides that wipe out prey, tidy fenced gardens and hazards like strimmers and netting are major killers.
- Simple garden help, such as hedgehog-sized gaps in fences and avoiding slug pellets, can make a real difference.

## What is a hedgehog?
A hedgehog is a small mammal belonging to the subfamily Erinaceinae, within the family Erinaceidae. Scientists recognise 17 species split across five genera: Erinaceus, Atelerix, Hemiechinus, Mesechinus and Paraechinus. They live naturally across Europe, Asia and Africa, and were introduced to New Zealand by people; none are native to the Americas or Australia. The most familiar is the European or West European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus. Every species shares a coat of spines, modified hairs stiffened with keratin, and most can roll into a tight ball when threatened, presenting a predator with nothing but points. Adults are typically about 20 to 30 centimetres long and weigh from roughly 400 grams to over a kilogram depending on species and season.

## Diet, behaviour and life cycle
Hedgehogs are mainly nocturnal and largely solitary, coming together only to breed. They are classic insectivores, hoovering up beetles, earthworms, slugs, snails, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs, and will opportunistically take eggs, carrion or small vertebrates. After a gestation of about 31 to 35 days, females give birth to a litter usually of four to six young, called hoglets, born blind with soft spines hidden beneath the skin that harden within hours. In cooler climates, hedgehogs hibernate through winter, dropping their body temperature and surviving on fat reserves. In the wild they typically live around three years, though some reach ten or more.

## Why hedgehogs are declining
For decades the European hedgehog was treated as a common backyard animal, but long-term monitoring revealed a worrying slide. In 2024 the IUCN reclassified it as Near Threatened, citing a decline approaching or exceeding 30 percent over ten years across much of its range, with populations in some countries, including the UK and Germany, falling by more than half. The drivers are overwhelmingly human. Roads kill huge numbers each year; pesticides and intensive farming strip away the insect prey they depend on; hedges and rough ground are cleared; and gardens have become hazardous, with strimmers, slug pellets, netting, ponds with steep sides and bonfires all taking a toll. Notably, rural declines have been steeper than urban ones, making wildlife-friendly gardens and connected green spaces increasingly important refuges.

## Hedgehog vs Porcupine
| Feature | Hedgehog | Porcupine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Animal group | Insectivore (Erinaceinae) | Rodent (Hystricidae / Erethizontidae) |
| Typical size | ~20–30 cm | Up to ~90 cm in large species |
| Spines | Short (~2–3 cm), no barbs | Long quills (5–8 cm+), often barbed |
| Spine count | ~5,000–7,000 | Up to ~30,000 |
| Defence | Rolls into a tight ball | Raises and reverses into quills |
| Can detach spines? | No (not at will) | Yes, quills release on contact |

## What WARN does
Hedgehogs fall outside the five countries where the World Animal Rescue Network currently funds frontline rescue work (Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and Colombia), and as a group spread across Europe, Asia and Africa they sit beyond our present funded footprint. We are honest about that: WARN does not run or fund hedgehog projects today. This guide is educational and search content, created to support our broader mission of raising global awareness about wildlife and the habitat loss, pesticide use and human pressures that threaten species worldwide. The most truthful way to help through WARN is to support the habitat protection and wildlife-welfare work we do fund, which addresses the same root causes hurting hedgehogs elsewhere.

WARN does not currently fund hedgehog projects, but the threats they face, lost habitat and human pressure on wildlife, are exactly what our funded work targets. Support our habitat protection efforts to help wildlife where WARN works today.

## Frequently asked questions: Hedgehog
### Are hedgehogs endangered?
Hedgehogs as a group are not all endangered, and status varies by species. However, the widespread European hedgehog was reclassified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List in 2024 after declines approaching or exceeding 30 percent over ten years in parts of its range.

### How many species of hedgehog are there?
There are 17 recognised species of hedgehog, grouped into five genera within the subfamily Erinaceinae, found across Europe, Asia and Africa.

### What do hedgehogs eat?
Hedgehogs are insectivores. Their diet is mostly invertebrates such as beetles, earthworms, slugs, snails, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs, and they occasionally eat eggs, carrion or small vertebrates.

### What is a baby hedgehog called?
A baby hedgehog is called a hoglet. Hoglets are born blind, with soft spines beneath the skin that harden within hours of birth.

### What is the difference between a hedgehog and a porcupine?
They are unrelated. Hedgehogs are small insectivores in the subfamily Erinaceinae with short, barb-free spines, while porcupines are larger rodents with long, barbed quills. Hedgehogs roll into a ball to defend themselves; porcupines cannot shoot quills but can detach them on contact.

### Why are hedgehogs disappearing?
Hedgehog numbers are falling mainly because of human pressures: road traffic, pesticides that destroy their insect prey, loss of hedgerows and rough habitat, and garden hazards such as strimmers, slug pellets, netting and steep-sided ponds.

## Sources
- [Hedgehog — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog)
- [European hedgehog — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hedgehog)
- [IUCN Red List — Erinaceus europaeus (Western European Hedgehog)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/29650/213411773)
- [The Mammal Society — European hedgehog listed as Near Threatened](https://mammal.org.uk/press-hub/breaking-european-hedgehog-listed-as-near-threatened-on-iucn-red-listnbsp)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Erinaceidae](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Erinaceidae/)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Erinaceidae](https://www.britannica.com/animal/Erinaceidae)

---
Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/hedgehog