Nor North America (including Canada)? European hedgehog is common and abundant throughout its wide range, but no overall population estimate is available. DISTRIBUTION & MOVEMENT - Editorial Comment: Editorial Comment (Editorial Overview Text Replicated on Overall Species page - Erinaceus europaeus - West European Hedgehog) NATIVE DISTRIBUTION: This hedgehog is found in western and northern Europe and northern European Russia.Populations have expanded as far north as 66°N in Finland, and south to the northern coast of … They were introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century. long; 2 to 5 cm (1 – 2 in.) Introduction. They root through hedges and other undergrowth in search of their favourite food – small creatures such as insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes. Or South America, either? These hedgehogs form part of a study by the Barcelona wildlife group Galanthus in the Sierra Marina above Badalona, just north of Barcelona. Currently European hedgehogs are classified as Least Concern (LC) and their numbers today remain stable. Some of the European hedgehogs have been introduced to New Zealand. We also describe and compare the diets of nine hedgehogs and measure dietary overlap between these individuals. Hedgehogs are mainly solitary animals and are nocturnal by nature, but are most active in … Mustela furo (ferret) is the domesticated form of the European pole-cat (Mustela putorius). Top: European Hedgehog. The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is commonly associated with humans in rural, suburban, and urban habitats. Bottom: Algerian Hedgehog (my photos) Hedgehog mortality in Spain. and Green, R.E. Its native range spans from Ireland, Great Britain, southern Scandinavia, and Western Europe to the Czech Republic, where its range overlaps with that of the Northern white-breasted hedgehog ( Erinaceus roumanicus ). Amazing Facts About the Hedgehog (European) The hedgehog got its name because of its peculiar foraging habits. is tail.Weigh between 500g (1 lb) and nearly 2 kg (4.5 lb); weight varies according to sex and season. The European hedgehog grows up to 30 centimetres long and many people do not realise that they also have a tail, which is around 5 cm. It is a generally common and widely distributed species that can survive across a wide range of habitat types. 2000. The range is all across Europe, throughout the Middle East, parts of Russia, and extending to northern China. It has been introduced to many parts of the world where it threatens native prey species, particularly ground nesting and flightless birds. A hedgehog suffering from "balloon syndrome", where gasses build up under the skin and cause the animal to inflate up to four-times its normal size. The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus ), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a species of hedgehog found in western Europe, from the Iberian Peninsula and Italy northwards into Scandinavia. Nor North America (including Canada)? We describe the diet of introduced European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus (Linnaeus, 1758) in a New Zealand dryland system and provide the first quantitative analysis of food selectivity for this species. European hedgehogs range across Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandinavia to Romania. Every hedgehog has around 7,000 spines, each 2-3 cm long and covering most of the hedgehogs body except the underneath. Biological Conservation 93: 333-348. Jackson, D.B., Fuller, R.J. and Campbell, S.T. Both are native to Africa, Europe and Asia. (see eating hedgehogs below), was more recently introduced in the Canaries. The most common pet hedgehog is the African pygmy hedgehog, made famous by many You Tube videos and recognisable by its white fur. The porcupine and hedgehog are found in different areas of the world. European Hedgehogs are they only spiny mammal found in Great Britain. The European Hedgehog was also introduced in New Zealand where it is considered an invasive species and a pest – in addition to bugs, the European Hedgehog is fond of snacking on the eggs of New Zealand’s ground-nesting birds. Size: Range from 24 to 35cm (9.5 – 14 in.) - Credit: Marc Baldwin The European hedgehog at a glance. - Credit: Brinsley Animal Rescue. The syringe feeding of hoglets can lead to bloat; air is introduced into the stomach via the syringe and this can be fatal if … 2004. There are about one million West European hedgehogs living in the UK. The importance of the introduced hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) as a predator of the eggs of waders (Charadrii) on machair in South Uist, Scotland. Erinaceus is a genus of hedgehog from the family of Erinaceidae. They have a body length between 22 and 27 cms (9 - 10.5 inches), a very small tail and they weigh between 0.9 and 1 Kgs (2 - 2.25 lbs).