Brandt's hedgehog officially joins India's wildlife list
Scientists just confirmed that Brandt's hedgehog, a species never before recorded in India, is living in Jammu and Kashmir.
This bumps up India's hedgehog count to four species and corrects earlier mix-ups with the Indian long-eared hedgehog.
How they found it
Wildlife warden Amit Sharma and his team caught five of these animals following a June-July 2024 sighting in Nowshera.
DNA profiling and morphometric analysis by researchers at the University of Jammu, Osmania University and a conservation biology and wildlife forensic research lab in Jammu proved they were Brandt's hedgehogs—the same species known from places like Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
Why it matters
The discovery means these hedgehogs are expanding their range into new habitats, where they help control rat populations.
The research team says it's time for more studies and conservation efforts to protect them from threats like climate change and shrinking habitats.