Facts About Hedgehogs

Facts about Hedgehogs

• Hedgehogs are small spiny mammals that are part of the subfamily Erinaceinae in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae.
• There are 17 species of hedgehogs in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction.
• Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews, with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last fifteen million years.
• Hedgehogs are easily recognized by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin and are not poisonous or barbed.
• Hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball in self-defense, causing all of the spines to point outwards to protect their tucked face, feet, and belly.
• Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, though some species can also be active during the day, and they sleep for a large portion of the day under bushes, grasses, rocks, or most commonly in dens dug in the ground.
• Hedgehogs communicate through a combination of grunts, snuffles, and/or squeals, and they occasionally perform a ritual called anointing.
• Hedgehogs are omnivorous and feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons, and watermelons.
• Hedgehogs have a relatively long lifespan for their size, with larger species living 4–7 years in the wild and smaller species living 2–4 years.
• Domesticated hedgehogs can get their heads stuck in tubes, and they are illegal to own as pets in some US states and Canadian municipalities.
• In areas where hedgehogs have been introduced, such as New Zealand and the islands of Scotland, the hedgehog has become a pest, causing immense damage to native species including insects, snails, lizards, and ground-nesting birds.
• Hedgehogs suffer many diseases common to humans, including cancer, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease.
• Hedgehogs are a food source in many cultures and are traded throughout Eurasia and Africa for traditional medicine and witchcraft.