Sonic in the Flesh

Despite Sonic’s popularity in the US, few Americans have seen an actual hedgehog. That’s mostly because the small, spiny creatures are not native to North America.

And though Sonic hails from Japan, no hedgehog species is native to Japan either.

The spiny fellow pictured here is a domesticated African Pygmy Hedgehog, which is a hybrid of several species found in the wild. This common hedgehog variety may have been what Sonic’s designers had in mind when they thought “hedgehog,” because it’s a popular pet breed in Japan.

(Photo: simple tess)