The Global Mystery of Hedgehogs

You will not find a native hedgehog in North America or Australia. Despite their worldwide fame, these iconic spiny mammals are restricted to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

While they are beloved characters in global pop culture, hedgehogs never evolved naturally in the Americas or Australia. Scientists have found ancient fossil evidence of their ancestors in North America, but those species went extinct long ago. Today, the only hedgehogs found outside their original range are those introduced by humans to places like New Zealand. It is fascinating that such a common creature is missing from so many continents.