Hedgehogs are quickly growing in popularity in the United States because they’re fairly easy to maintain and cost less than many other exotic pets. Most potential owners have a lot of questions about these pets, and one of the most common ones is about where they come from and how they live in the wild. Hedgehogs are native to Africa, Europe, and some parts of Asia. If you were thinking about getting one of these pets for your home but would like to know more about their natural environment first, keep reading while we look into this and other interesting facts about hedgehogs to help you make an informed decision.
Where Do Hedgehogs Live?
Unfortunately, the hedgehog is not native to the United States, so you will not find them here. To see a hedgehog, you will need to travel to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, or Central Asia, where they are native.
How Many Kinds of Hedgehog Are There?
In total, there are 17 different species of hedgehog that you can sort by where they live, which determines their natural environment.
European Hedgehogs
European hedgehogs prefer to live in grasslands, woodlands, and meadows. They hibernate during the winter and tend to stay near humans.
African Hedgehogs
African hedgehogs like to live in dry, hot climates covered with grasslands and woodlands that provide plenty of hiding places that they can use to escape predators. Since the climate is so warm, these hedgehogs do not hibernate and instead spend their time digging and foraging.
Asian Hedgehogs
You will find Asian hedgehogs in Central Asia in the Middle East. It’s a long-eared breed that avoids mountains and desert areas and instead thrives in grasslands and woodlands like the other hedgehogs. Asian hedgehogs do not hibernate because of the warm climate where they live.
Other Interesting Facts About Hedgehogs
- Human civilization attracts these hedgehogs, and they will often leave their native habitat to hide in a basement or under a porch.
- Scientists introduced a small number of hedgehogs to New Zealand and a few islands of Scotland, where they still reside.
- Hedgehogs in New Zealand have no natural predators and can live up to 16 years.
- The long lifespan of hedgehogs allows colonies to grow rapidly.
- In areas where they are native, you will find hedgehogs and grassy or wooded areas not far from a body of water like a stream or pond.
- There are no hedgehogs in Australia or North and South America.
- Hedgehogs are particularly fond of hiding in hedges which is how they get their names.
- Fleas infest almost all wild hedgehogs. Most specimens have about 100 fleas, but some have as many as 1,000.
Conclusion
As you can see, hedgehogs have a fairly wide range. Several different species enable them to live in different environments so you will find them on almost every continent except Australia and America. The African hedgehog is the most popular pet because it’s easier to recreate their environment, and they have a friendly temperament that causes them to enjoy being around humans.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this short guide and found the answers you need.
- You may also want to know: Do Hedgehogs Smell Bad?
Featured Image Credit: Nishant Vaze, Shutterstock
