If you love hedgehogs, you might be interested in learning about the southern white-breasted hedgehog, a spiny mammal in Eastern Europe and Southwestern Asia. This hedgehog is very similar to the European hedgehog, but it has a distinctive white spot on its chest that makes it stand out from other hedgehog species.

The southern white-breasted hedgehog is a nocturnal animal that feeds on insects, worms, snails, and sometimes small vertebrates. It has a keen sense of smell and hearing but poor eyesight. When threatened, it can roll into a ball, exposing its sharp spines to deter predators. Unlike the European hedgehog, it does not dig dens but prefers to build grass nests in secluded places. It can also hybridize with the European hedgehog, producing offspring with mixed features.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Armenia

2016

Azerbaijan

2016

Belarus

2016

Georgia

2016

Iran

2016

Israel

2016

Lebanon

2016

Russia

2016

Syria

2016

Turkey

2016

Ukraine

2016