[5] Since the long-eared hedgehog is naturally parasite prone and can carry diseases as bad as plague, it is highly recommended that, if kept as a pet, it should be purchased from a respected dealer.

Wild hedgehogs have been found to carry Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the brown dog tick, which can transmit Boutonneuse fever.

[7] The long-eared hedgehog is an insectivore; 70% of its diet consists of insects, with some worms and a tiny amount of slugs and snails.

The idea that these animals eat only slugs and snails is an unfounded assumption, as these comprise only about 5% of their natural diet.

[10] More specific to this species, Hemiechinus auritus is an insectivore that forages in the early evening looking for insects (such as grasshoppers and beetles), myriapods, gastropods, batrachians (amphibians), small vertebrates (such as lizards), eggs, fruits and plants.

[3] However, if this is not available they depend on their food source for their water intake [12] The long-eared hedgehog is active throughout much of the year and hibernates for shorter periods of time.

[7] The long-eared hedgehog is hunted by the Eurasian eagle owl and makes up about 14% of the predatory birds' diet.

[14] The Long-eared hedgehog is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis cryptosaudi[15] and Pachysentis ehrenbergi in South Sinai, Egypt.

[3] This species is native to the following countries: Afghanistan, China, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The long-eared hedgehog prefers to stay in intermediate climates, avoiding the hot desert and the northern colder mountain areas.

It prefers dry river valleys, gullies, forest shelter belts, abandoned irrigation ditches and shrubby areas, and often settles in oases and around human settlements (sometimes in cultivated habitats).

[7] Long eared hedgehogs can be agriculturally beneficial since they eat harmful organisms like termites and scorpions.