CreatureData

Four-toed hedgehog

Atelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841)

LCLeast Concernmammals

The four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) is a species in the family Erinaceidae, order Eulipotyphla. Recorded adults weigh 335 g to 600 g and live up to 11.4 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)
Photo: Nacaru · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the four-toed hedgehog

Weight
335 g – 600 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
11.4 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
30 days – 40 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
4.49 – 5src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
84.2 days – 12 monthssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the four-toed hedgehog live?

Not recorded

What is the four-toed hedgehog?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), also known as the African pygmy hedgehog, is a species of hedgehog found throughout much of central and eastern Africa.

Populations tend to be scattered between suitable savannah or cropland habitats, avoiding forested areas. The species common name is derived from the number of toes found on its hind feet. Due to its extensive range and stable wild population, the species is rated as least concern by the IUCN. In addition, the species is a popular small pet in various countries, and has been successfully domesticated and bred in captivity.

There are no universally agreed subspecies of A. albiventris.

From the Wikipedia article “Four-toed hedgehog” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Four-toed_hedgehog&oldid=1384659565), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the four-toed hedgehog endangered?

The four-toed hedgehog is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the four-toed hedgehog classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderEulipotyphla
  5. familyErinaceidae
  6. genusAtelerix
  7. SpeciesAtelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841)

Synonyms Erinaceus albiventris, Erinaceus albwventris

Other names and names in other languages (31)
  • African pygmy hedgehogEnglish
  • Domestic hedgehogEnglish
  • White-bellied hedgehogEnglish
  • قنفذ قزم إفريقيArabic
  • Eriço de panxa blancaCatalan
  • ježek bělobřichýCzech
  • Afrikansk hvidbuget dværgpindsvinDanish
  • WeißbauchigelGerman
  • Afrikanische ZwergigelGerman
  • Τετραδάκτυλος σκαντζόχοιροςGreek
  • Erizo de vientre blancoSpanish
  • afrikansiiliFinnish
  • Hérisson à ventre blancFrench
  • קיפוד ארבע אצבעיHebrew
  • Fehérhasú sünHungarian
  • Riccio africanoItalian
  • Riccio dell'Africa centraleItalian
  • ヨツユビハリネズミJapanese
  • 네발가락고슴도치Korean
  • Firetået PiggsvinNorwegian Bokmål
  • WitbuikegelDutch
  • Jeż białobrzuchyPolish
  • afrojeż białobrzuchyPolish
  • Ouriço-pigmeu-africanoPortuguese
  • Белобрюхий ёжRussian
  • Iriqi katër gishtëshAlbanian
  • เฮดจ์ฮอกสี่นิ้วThai
  • Африканський їжак карликовийUkrainian
  • Африканський їжак чотирипалийUkrainian
  • 四趾刺蝟Chinese
  • 非洲侏儒刺蝟Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the four-toed hedgehog

Other species in the same genus Atelerix.

CompareFour-toed hedgehog vs North African hedgehogFour-toed hedgehog vs Southern African hedgehogFour-toed hedgehog vs Somali hedgehogFour-toed hedgehog vs Atelerix kilimanus

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the four-toed hedgehog?

An adult four-toed hedgehog weighs 335 g – 600 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the four-toed hedgehog endangered?

The four-toed hedgehog is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the four-toed hedgehog live?

The four-toed hedgehog has a recorded lifespan of 11.4 years.

How long is the four-toed hedgehog pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 30 days – 40 days.

What kind of animal is the four-toed hedgehog?

The four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) belongs to the family Erinaceidae in the order Eulipotyphla.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/four-toed-hedgehog

MLA

“Four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/four-toed-hedgehog.

BibTeX
@misc{four_toed_hedgehog_2026,
  title = {Four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/four-toed-hedgehog},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}