▁difficult ▁to ▁distinguish ▁in ▁the ▁field , ▁the ▁latter ▁having ▁a ▁white ▁spot ▁on ▁its ▁ch est . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Gu in ness ▁Book ▁of ▁World ▁Records , ▁E . ▁europ ae us ▁is ▁probably ▁the ▁largest ▁species ▁of ▁h edge h og ▁and ▁is ▁possibly ▁the ▁heav iest ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁order ▁Er in ace om or pha , ▁although ▁the ▁moon rat ▁( E ch inos ore x ▁g ymn ura ), ▁similar ▁in ▁average ▁mass ▁if ▁not ▁known ▁to ▁equal ▁the ▁h edge h og ' s ▁maximum ▁weight , ▁can ▁att ain ▁a ▁consider ably ▁greater ▁length . ▁ ▁In ▁Europe ▁h edge h ogs ▁carry ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁h edge h og ▁fle as ▁( Arch ae ops yl la ▁er in ace i ). ▁ ▁Col our ▁variation ▁ ▁Le uc istic ▁or ▁' bl onde ' ▁h edge h ogs ▁occasionally ▁occur . ▁Such ▁spec im ens ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁pair ▁of ▁rare ▁re cess ive ▁gen es , ▁giving ▁rise ▁to ▁their ▁black ▁eyes ▁and ▁cre amy - color ed ▁sp ines ; ▁however , ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁strictly ▁speaking ▁alb ino . ▁They ▁are ▁extremely ▁rare , ▁except ▁on ▁North ▁Ron ald say ▁and ▁the ▁Channel ▁Island ▁of ▁Ald er ney ▁where ▁around ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁bl onde . ▁True ▁alb ino ▁forms ▁of ▁the ▁h edge h og ▁do ▁also ▁occur ▁inf re qu ently . ▁ ▁Be havior ▁This ▁species