Their diet includes insects, slugs, snails, worms, frogs, bird eggs, fruit, grass and mushrooms. When threatened, a hedgehog will curl itself up in a ball. Hedgehog species with fewer quills (usually those found in warmer climates) are less able to defend themselves in this way, and are more likely either to flee from, or to attack, the predator. This means that a predator risks injuring itself if it tries to make a meal of the hedgehog. All hedgehogs are capable of rolling themselves up into a ball when threatened. The hedgehog’s spines are defensive adaptation to protect it from predators. Within a month, the soft spines are replaced with hard adult spines in a process known as ‘quilling’. The swollen skin soon shrinks to reveal the spines. These are hidden underneath a layer of swollen protective skin. When a hedgehog is born, it has a smattering of soft spines. (Your fingernails are made out of the same material.) They are hollow and made of a material called keratin. Hedgehog Spinesĭepending on the species, hedgehogs can have up to 6000 spines. Males often act aggressively towards one another when they meet. Hedgehogs make grunting and snuffling sounds while foraging in the undergrowth. Hedgehogs are solitary, only coming together to breed. Hedgehogs use their long snouts to root around the leaves and to capture and manipulate their food. Hedgehogs have poor vision, and rely mainly on their excellent sense of smell to find food. Hedgehogs spend most of the day asleep, hidden deep in the undergrowth, often in dens that they have excavated themselves. Most hedgehogs are nocturnal (active at night). (30-38 cm) in length, and weighs 1.5 – 2 lb. The hedgehog uses its long nose to root through the undergrowth in search of food.Īn average hedgehog is 12-15 in. Hedgehogs have long snouts and small black eyes. Their face and undersides are covered in softer hair. Their backs and sides are covered in long, hard spines. Hedgehogs have round bodies and short legs. Hedgehogs have also been introduced in New Zealand, and are kept as pets in other parts of the world. They are found in the wild in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Sixteen species of hedgehog are currently recognized. Hedgehogs are small spiny mammals in the subfamily Erinaceinae.
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