The Western European Hedgehog can be found in a wide range of habitats such as woodland, agricultural landscapes, orchards, parks and gardens, including in urban areas. In many regions, it is nowadays more commonly observed in urban settings than in rural areas (Hubert et al. 2011; van de Poel et al. 2015, Williams et al. 2018). There is continuing decline in the quality of rural habitat in many areas across its range. It is a solitary, nocturnal, winter-hibernating species. Throughout most of its native range, it typically hibernates between November and April, though the exact timings depend on climate, sex, body size and physical condition (Reeve 1994, Rasmussen et al. 2019). Hedgehogs are otherwise active between spring-autumn during which they may breed at any point. Litter size is typically three to six individuals (Morris 1977, Kristiansson 1981, Walhovd 1984); occasionally a female may produce two litters in one year.

The diet of the Western European Hedgehog primarily consists of invertebrates, eggs, carrion and sometimes plant material (Wroot 1984). Nests are constructed from leaf litter, grass and other natural materials as well as occasionally anthropogenic materials (Reeve and Morris 1985, Rautio et al. 2014). Nests are formed in a variety of sheltered locations, for instance, under hedgerows, scrub or log piles, or man-made structures such as garden sheds or decking (Morris 2018).

The Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) occurs in much of Europe, from the British Isles and the Iberian peninsula, eastwards through to Poland and north through Scandinavia, into northern Russia and the Moscow region. It is absent from southeast Europe and southern Russia. At the southern extent of its distribution, it is present on large western Mediterranean islands (Corsica, Elba, Sardinia, Sicily) and is found in Italy, Slovenia (where it is restricted to a region surrounding Nova Gorica city), and possibly into Croatia, though records are lacking (B. Kryštufek pers. comm. 2023). Records are also lacking from another border of its range in Latvia where it is now rarely observed, and may have nearly disappeared (G. Kampe pers. comm. 2022). The exact borders of this species’ range are not entirely clear, particularly in regions further east of Slovenia, Austria and Slovakia where its range would overlap with that of its congener Erinaceus roumanicus, though where survey and genetic data are lacking; presence is suspected, for example, in bordering areas of Hungary, but unconfirmed (not mapped) (S. Lund Rasmussen pers. comm. 2023). It is typically found at altitudes of up to 600 m; it can reach 1,500-2,000 m in the Alps (Lapini 1999) but tends not to occur above the tree line (Reeve 1994). It has been introduced to the Azores (first official record in 1957; Mathias et al. 1998, Witmer et al. 2004) and the Outer Hebrides (Jackson and Green 2000).

Outside of Europe, its distribution may also extend further east in Russia, where a single specimen taken from Tyumen Oblast was confirmed to be a West European Hedgehog via genetic analysis, though its exact origin is unknown (Zolotareva et al. 2020); further research and monitoring is needed to confirm the extent of this species’ native range. It has also been introduced to New Zealand (from the 19th Century; Jones et al. 2005).

It is listed on Appendix III of the Bern Convention and occurs in a number of protected areas throughout its range. The Western European Hedgehog is included on multiple national Red Lists in accordance with IUCN regional criteria as Near Threatened (Austria, Norway, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland), Vulnerable (Great Britain), and Endangered (Netherlands). Recommended conservation actions include the prevention of habitat loss and fragmentation, and encouragement of hedgehog presence in residential areas. Investigation into the potential effectiveness of road mitigation strategies, as well as the impacts of pollutants and pesticides on hedgehog populations, is needed. This species would also benefit from further research of population trends and distribution in areas where it has been poorly studied.