Kidneys are important organs that regulate the volume and composi-tion of body fluids. In this study, some renal light and electron micro-scopic features were examined in 5 hedgehogs (Hemiechinus auritus). The right kidneys were processed for routine light microscopy, while the left kidneys were prepared for transmission electron microscopy. The kidney in this animal is bean-shaped and has a smooth surface. Light microscopy analysis revealed that the renal corpuscles are small dark red spherical bodies that have an average diameter of 82 μm. Po-docytes contained a clear nucleus and had several large cytoplasmic primary processes, from which smaller secondary and tertiary pro-cesses emanate. The epithelium of the proximal convoluted tubule was simple cuboidal, which was covered at the apical surface by a brush border formed by sparse microvilli. Narrow intercellular spaces were observed between the cell mem-branes in the proximal convoluted tubule. Both descending and as-cending loops of Henle were long and extended from cortex into the medulla. The distal convoluted tu-bule consisted of a simple cuboidal epithelium. These cells were cov-ered by short microprojections at the apical surface, while at the ba-solateral side they had extensive plasma membrane infoldings with a few mitochondria. The juxtaglo-merular (JG) and macula densa cells were present at the junction of distal tubules with afferent arteri-oles. The collecting ducts were lined with simple cuboidal epithelium. The cells of the medullary collecting duct had a few short apical microprojec-tions and randomly oriented mito-chondria. In this report, some histo-logical and physiological features of individual components of nephrons in hedgehog have been discussed.

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