The desert hedgehog, Paraechinus aethiopicus, is the only indigenous hedgehog species in Qatar. We investigated the phylogeny and population structure of desert hedgehogs in Qatar for the first time using sections of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome-b and control regions. We found two distinct haplotypes in each mtDNA region within Qatar. However, they do not show a clear phylogeographic structure, suggesting that vicariance by distance over hyper-arid environments may not apply to this desert-adapted species. Nevertheless, the desert hedgehog in Qatar and the few specimens analysed to date from the Arabian Peninsula are genetically distinct from the desert hedgehog in North Africa which may warrant reclassification as a distinct species. Further research is needed, particularly within the Middle East to better understand the genetic diversity of the species and to aid future conservation and management decisions.

沙漠刺猬Paraechinus aethiopicus，是卡塔尔唯一的本土刺猬物种。我们首次使用线粒体 DNA (mtDNA) 细胞色素-b 和控制区域的部分研究了卡塔尔沙漠刺猬的系统发育和种群结构。我们在卡塔尔的每个 mtDNA 区域发现了两种不同的单倍型。然而，它们没有显示出清晰的系统地理学结构，这表明在超干旱环境中距离的变化可能不适用于这种适应沙漠的物种。尽管如此，卡塔尔的沙漠刺猬和迄今为止从阿拉伯半岛分析的少数标本在遗传上与北非的沙漠刺猬不同，这可能需要重新归类为一个独特的物种。需要进一步研究，