Hedgehog Color Guide

You may have seen "Oak Reverse Blaze Odd Eye" describing our male, Don Julio, and thought to yourself, "in English, please!" Sometimes it feels like you're reading a foreign language when you see the color descriptions of hedgehogs. There are quite a variety of hedgehog colors, ranging from Albino to Algerian Black, and we're here to hopefully break down what some of the colors and descriptions mean. 

base color

First, we start with the base color. The base color is the color of the skin, mask, ears, and arms/legs. Each color can also range from light to dark versions of that color (for example, light gray to dark gray). 

Note: Albino is a recessive gene that means the hedgehog lacks pigmentation. The skin is pink, eyes are red, and quills are white. 

Belvedere is Algerian Black with a Full Mask

Apricot
Black
Brown 
Charcoal
Chocolate
Cinnacot/Cinnamon
Gray
Oak

Quill Pattern

Some hedgehogs have a special pattern with their quills. This typically ranges from snowflake to pinto to all-white. The patterns also vary depending on how much pattern is present. For example, minimum pinto, to reverse pinto or snowflake and high snowflake.

Rex, pictured here, is Algerian Dark Gray Pinto

Snowflake
Pinto/Reverse Pinto
Platinum
White

• Snowflake pattern is when white quills are interspersed with banded quills. The more white quills present, the "higher" the snowflake.
• White/Double White/Platinum are when a hedgehog has minimal to no banded quills (Double White) 
• Pinto is when a hedgehog has a cluster of white quills. If the cluster is small, that would be considered mini pinto (minimal pinto). Reverse Pinto is when the hedgehog has mostly white quills and the cluster is of banded/darker quills.
  

Facial markings

Facial markings indicate the pattern on a hedgehog's face, nose, eyes, and/or ears. As you can imagine, there are many variations, so we have included the most common facial markings.

Tanqueray is Algerian Dark Gray with Split Face and Mismatched Ears

Eyes (Dark Eyes, Odd Eye, Ruby Eyes)
Ears (Mismatched Ears)
Badger Stripes
Blaze
Eyeliner
Eye Patch
Full Mask
Pinto Face
Reverse Blaze
Smudge Face
Split Face

Another great resource for hedgehog colors is the International Hedgehog Association, where there are pictures of many of the color combinations. 

What colors, patterns, and facial markings are we missing? What is the most unique color/pattern combo you've seen?