Hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, and even rats have long dominated the market as preferred picks for pint-sized pets. But there's another miniature mammal that's starting to gain popularity in the pet ...

If you have you ever stopped your Instagram scroll to admire a particularly cute, pointy, and quill-crowned face, you may have also considered the possibility of getting a pet hedgehog yourself.

Hedgehogs are small nocturnal animals. They have a prickly coat and are naturally found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. They are considered exotic pets and are illegal to own in four states in the U.S.

Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years she has specialized in viral trends and internet news, with a particular focus on animals, ...

Hedgehogs have gained popularity as pets in recent decades. Before you add one to your family, Dr. Krista Keller, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, ...