Atelerix is a genus of hedgehog in the family Erinaceidae. It contains four species, all native to Africa.

Species

Genus Atelerix – Wagner, 1841 – four species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
Four-toed hedgehogAtelerix albiventris (Wagner, 1841)Gambia and Senegal in the west, to Somalia in the east, and also in eastern Africa, as far south as MozambiqueSize: Habitat: Diet:LC
North African hedgehogAtelerix algirus Lereboullet, 1842Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Spain, and TunisiaSize: Habitat: Diet:LC
Southern African hedgehogAtelerix frontalis (A. Smith, 1831)Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.Size: Habitat: Diet:LC
Somali hedgehogAtelerix sclateri Anderson, 1895Somalia.Size: Habitat: Diet:LC

The Atelerix diversified from its family because of geographical isolation during Pleistocene climate changes. This being a type of vicariance separation from the Niger River. This allowed the Erinaceidane family to be more diverse.