A new species of forest hedgehog ( Mesechinus , Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla, Mammalia) from eastern China

The hedgehog genus (Erinaceidae, Eulipotyphla) is currently comprised of four species, , , , and . Except for , which is found in southwestern China, the other three species are mainly distributed in northern China and adjacent Mongolia and Russia. From 2018 to 2023, we collected seven specimens from Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, eastern China. Here, we evaluate the taxonomic and phylogenetic status of these specimens by integrating molecular, morphometric, and karyotypic approaches. Our results indicate that the Anhui and Zhejiang specimens are distinct from the four previously recognized species and are a new species. We formally described it here as It is the only species occurring in eastern China and is geographically distant from all known congeners. Morphologically, the new species is most similar to , but it is distinguishable from that species by the combination of its smaller size, shorter spines, and several cranial characteristics. sp. nov. is a sister to the lineage composed of and from which it diverged approximately 1.10 Ma.