Hedgehog Facts: Behavior, Spines, Diet & More

Hedgehogs are small spiny mammals famous for rolling into tight balls when threatened. Their backs are covered with five thousand to seven thousand sharp spines that deter predators.

Why Five Thousand Spines Cover Their Backs

Hedgehog spines are modified hairs made of keratin the same protein found in human fingernails. Each spine measures zero point five to one inch long and lasts about one year before falling out and being replaced. Only the strongest predators like badgers and large birds of prey can overcome this defense.

How They Travel Two Miles Each Night

Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal emerging at dusk to search for food. They can travel up to two miles in a single night following regular routes through their territories. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight but excellent senses of smell and hearing that help navigate in darkness.

Why Gardens Benefit From Their Appetites

Hedgehogs are insectivores that eat primarily beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, slugs, and other invertebrates. They also consume snails, millipedes, centipedes, and occasionally bird eggs, small mice, frogs, and fruit. Hedgehogs are beneficial to gardens because they eat many pest species.

How Heart Rates Drop to Twenty Beats

Hedgehogs in colder climates hibernate during winter when insect prey becomes scarce. Before hibernation they must double their body weight to survive months without eating. They build special winter nests called hibernacula from extra layers of leaves and grass.

Why Hoglets Are Born With Soft Spines

Hedgehog breeding season occurs in spring and summer. After mating males depart and females raise young alone. Their first spines are white and soft covered by fluid filled skin.

How European Populations Dropped Fifty Percent

Many hedgehog populations face declines with some species listed as vulnerable or near threatened. European hedgehog numbers have dropped over fifty percent in some countries during recent decades. Major threats include habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development.