NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Four-toed Hedgehog
Atelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, Four-toed hedgehog; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:53:56.158034+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Atelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841)
- Name authority
- (Wagner, 1841)
- Common name
- Four-toed Hedgehog
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Eulipotyphla
- Family
- Erinaceidae
- Genus
- Atelerix
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderEulipotyphla Waddell, Okada & Hasegawa, 1999
- familyErinaceidae G. Fischer, 1814
- subfamilyErinaceinae G. Fischer, 1814
- genusAtelerix Pomel, 1848
- speciesAtelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Atelerix. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| North African HedgehogAtelerix algirus (Lereboullet, 1842) | ErinaceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Southern African HedgehogAtelerix frontalis (A. Smith, 1831) | ErinaceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Somali HedgehogAtelerix sclateri Anderson, 1895 | ErinaceidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Erinaceus albiventris Wagner, 1841 Wagner, 1841 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=633534 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:J8NM. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.