African Pygmy Hedgehogs are the smallest species of hedgehog, growing to approximately 20cm long. They are also known as the four-toed hedgehog. They can be found across Eastern, Western and Central Africa. Their bodies are covered in about 6000 small quills which are used for protection and to deter predators and are usually brown or grey with white coloured tips.
They are omnivores, feeding mostly on insects, worms, slugs and snails but also eat eggs, fruits, roots, and sometimes small mammals, reptiles or amphibians. Hedgehogs are mainly solitary and prefer keeping their distance from other hedgehogs. They can live for up to 10 years in captivity, but the average life expectancy in the wild is about 3-4 years. They are classed on the IUCN red list as ‘least concern’.
