AnimalsA hedgehog is covered in thousands of sharp spines. When frightened it rolls into a tight ball. It comes out at night to eat beetles, worms and slugs, and sleeps through the winter.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Erinaceus europaeus
- Group
- Mammals
- Diet
- Insectivore (eats insects and other small creatures)
- Lives in
- Europe
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, hedges and gardens
- A young one is called
- hoglet
- A group is called
- array or prickle
- Conservation status
- Near Threatened
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Erinaceomorpha
- Family Erinaceidae
- Genus Erinaceus
- Species Erinaceus europaeus
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The European hedgehog is listed as Near Threatened. The species is not yet classed as threatened, but it is close and may become so soon.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.