▁of ▁h edge h ogs ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁pre y ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁otherwise ▁low ▁divers ity ▁of ▁native ▁land ▁m amm als , ▁although ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁European ▁rabb its ▁has ▁shift ed ▁the ▁e agle ' s ▁pre y ▁prefer ences ▁there . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁The ▁European ▁h edge h og ▁is ▁en demic ▁to ▁Europe ▁( including ▁European ▁Russia ), ▁with ▁a ▁global ▁distribution ▁extending ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁Is les ▁and ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula ▁east wards ▁through ▁much ▁of ▁western ▁to ▁central ▁Europe , ▁and ▁from ▁southern ▁F enn osc and ia ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁Balt ic ▁to ▁north - west ▁Russia . ▁Pres ent ▁also ▁on ▁Mediter rane an ▁islands ▁( C ors ica , ▁S ardin ia , ▁El ba , ▁Sic ily ), ▁on ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Atlantic ▁islands ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁on ▁British ▁Islands ▁( aut och th on ous ▁and ▁introduced ). ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁invas ive ▁ex otic ▁species ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁has ▁probably ▁been ▁introduced ▁to ▁Ireland ▁and ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁smaller ▁islands ▁where ▁it ▁occurs . ▁ ▁Col on ists ▁took ▁h edge h ogs ▁from ▁England ▁and ▁Scotland ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁on ▁sail ing ▁ships ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁mainly ▁for ▁sentiment al ▁reasons . ▁F ew ▁surv ived ▁the ▁ 4 - 6 ▁month ▁voyage , ▁but ▁those ▁that ▁did ▁had ▁lost ▁all ▁their ▁fle as . ▁ ▁Anim als ▁found ▁their