Erinaceus concolor
Jan Ebr · Turkey
The hedgehog naturally found in Georgia is the southern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor). In Georgian it is often also called “European hedgehog”, although the western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) does not occur in Georgia. Adults are about 20–26 cm in head-body length, with a 2–3 cm tail, and often weigh about 550–800 g. It has no venom. The main possible risk to people is contact with the spines or a defensive bite if the animal is picked up. IUCN lists Erinaceus concolor as Least Concern.
Identification
The hedgehog found in Georgia is a small spiny mammal with a short tail and a white patch on the chest. It occurs naturally in the country and is a year-round resident.
Adult head-body length is about 20–26 cm, the tail is 2–3 cm, and mass is often 550–800 g. These are species-level data; this page does not have a full separately measured series for the Georgian population. The snout is pointed, the ears are short, and the eyes are small. The back and sides are covered with spines, while the face, legs, and belly are furred. The tail is very short and often almost hidden among the spines.
The southern white-breasted hedgehog has a clear pale or white chest patch contrasting with the darker belly. This is one important feature for separating it from the western European hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus. In Georgia, identifying the species from a single photograph is not always simple. If the chest is not visible, range and other features also matter. There is no need to pick up the animal to check its chest.
Georgia’s 2023 checklist of insectivorous mammals lists only Erinaceus concolor among hedgehogs. IUCN data, however, also include the northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus) in Georgia’s native range. The two white-breasted hedgehogs are difficult to separate in the wild, so this page follows the 2023 national checklist for Georgia and uses Erinaceus concolor as the species. The western European Erinaceus europaeus does not occur in Georgia. The Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) is much larger than a hedgehog, has long quills, and does not roll into a tight ball like a hedgehog.
The hedgehog is not venomous. In Georgia, a small spiny mammal with a short tail seen at night in a garden, park, or by a road usually belongs to this group. You do not need to pick it up or inspect its chest to identify it.
In Georgia hedgehogs may be found in gardens, parks, village and farmland edges, scrub, and deciduous woodland edges. Ground cover and available invertebrate food are important. Across the species range it lives in deciduous forest, scrub, meadows, around farms, and in parks. It often avoids dense conifer forest, especially where ground cover and food are limited. The concrete record named on this page is Orkhevi, Tbilisi, photographed on 5 April 2023. A 2023 review brings together 112 records from Georgia collected between 1864 and 2022, but the localities are not listed one by one here. Do not assume equal distribution or density across all regions of the country.
The hedgehog mainly feeds on ground invertebrates: beetles, earthworms, slugs, and snails. It may sometimes eat frogs, eggs, carrion, or other small animals. This is the species-level diet. The hedgehog’s diet in Georgia has not been studied separately in detail on this page. It is not a predator specialized on one particular food.
Related guides
Questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Southern white-breasted hedgehog.
Yes. The hedgehog naturally found in Georgia is Erinaceus concolor. The western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) does not occur in Georgia. The Georgian name “European hedgehog” is a historical common name.
In Georgia hedgehogs may be found in gardens, parks, village and farmland edges, and woodland edges. The concrete record named on this page is Orkhevi, Tbilisi, on 5 April 2023. A 2023 review brings together 112 records from Georgia collected between 1864 and 2022, but this page does not list every region or municipality.
The hedgehog is a small spiny mammal with a short tail. The form found in Georgia has a pale or white patch on the chest. Georgia’s 2023 checklist of insectivorous mammals lists only Erinaceus concolor among hedgehogs.
Head-body length is about 20–26 cm, the tail is 2–3 cm, and mass is often about 550–800 g. This page does not have full separate measurements for the Georgian population.
The hedgehog mainly eats ground invertebrates such as beetles, earthworms, slugs, and other small animals. Its diet in Georgia has not been studied separately in detail on this page.
The hedgehog is mainly active at night. In the cold season it may hibernate, but exact start and end dates for hibernation in Georgia are not established on this page. It is resident and does not migrate seasonally.
No. The hedgehog is not venomous, and its spines do not contain poison. If you pick it up or disturb it, the spines may injure you or it may bite in defence. In nature it is best not to touch it.
IUCN lists the southern white-breasted hedgehog globally as Least Concern. It is not treated on this page as a threatened taxon on Georgia’s 2014 Red List. LC status does not mean that catching or taking a wild animal is automatically allowed. Leave hedgehogs in nature.
References
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
