Hedgehog

A hedgehog is a spiny mammal in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera. You can find them in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand because people brought them there. They are not native to Australia or the Americas, though an extinct genus called Amphechinus once lived in North America.

Hedgehogs are closely related to shrews, and gymnures may be a link between them. These animals have changed very little over the last 15 million years. Like many animals that are active at night, hedgehogs have sharp spines to stay safe. They are similar to porcupines and echidnas, but they are not the same.

In Europe, hedgehogs sometimes need care at wildlife clinics. They are delicate and can get stressed around humans. To keep them safe, clinics suggest putting them in a dark, quiet, and well-ventilated box and not handling them much. This helps them stay calm.

Etymology

The word "hedgehog" began being used around 1450. It comes from an old English word, heyghoge, meaning "hedge" and "hog". People named them this because hedgehogs often live in hedgerows and have a snout like a pig. Other names for hedgehogs are "urchin" and "hedgepig".

Main article: Middle English

Description

Hedgehogs are small mammals with spiny coats. Their spines are not poisonous like a porcupine and do not easily fall off. When scared, hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball to protect themselves with their spines. They are mostly active at night and like to sleep in dens they dig underground.

Hedgehogs can make many different sounds, such as grunts and squeals. They sometimes do a behavior called anointing, where they lick a new scent and then spread it on their spines. Hedgehogs also have some natural protection against certain snake venoms, which helps keep them safe.

Diet

Hedgehogs eat both plants and animals. They like to munch on insects, snails, frogs, toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, and melons. Afghan hedgehogs enjoy berries a lot in early spring after sleeping through the winter. Sometimes, they also eat cat food left out for pets.

Hibernation

When a hedgehog hibernates, its body temperature drops a lot. It goes from about 30–35 °C to just 2–5 °C. During this time, the hedgehog rests and saves energy until it is warm enough to wake up again.

Reproduction and lifespan

Hedgehogs have a gestation period of 35 to 58 days, depending on the species. Larger species usually have litters of three to four newborns, while smaller species have five to six. Newborn hedgehogs, called hoglets, are born blind and their quills are covered by a thin membrane that dries and falls off after a few hours.

Hedgehogs can live quite long for their size. In captivity, they may live eight to ten years. In the wild, larger species live four to seven years, and smaller species live two to four years. This is longer than mice, which typically live about two years.

Predators

Hedgehogs have many natural predators. Birds, like owls, and animals such as ferrets often hunt them. Small hedgehogs, like the long-eared hedgehog, are hunted by foxes, wolves, and mongooses. In Britain, the European badger also hunts hedgehogs. Badgers sometimes take food that hedgehogs find, making it harder for hedgehogs to get enough to eat. Some groups that help hedgehogs keep them safe in places where badgers live.

Domestication

Main article: Domesticated hedgehog

Many pet hedgehogs are mixed between the white-bellied hedgehog or four-toed hedgehog and the smaller North African hedgehog. Other species kept as pets include the long-eared hedgehog and the Indian long-eared hedgehog.

As of 2019, owning a hedgehog as a pet is not allowed in some places, such as Hawaii, Georgia, Pennsylvania, California, New York City, Washington, D.C., and some parts of Canada. Special licenses may be needed to breed them. In most European countries, there are no rules, except in Scandinavia. In Italy, keeping wild hedgehogs as pets is not allowed.

As invasive species

Hedgehogs introduced to places like New Zealand and parts of Scotland have caused problems because they have no natural predators. In New Zealand, they have harmed many native animals, including insects, snails, lizards, and birds that nest on the ground.

Controlling hedgehog populations can be hard. On some Scottish islands, plans to reduce their numbers faced opposition from animal welfare groups. Over time, methods changed to focus on trapping and moving hedgehogs instead of removing them.

Diseases

Hedgehogs can get many of the same diseases that other mammals do, such as cancer, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. One common cancer in hedgehogs is squamous cell carcinoma.

Some hedgehogs develop wobbly hedgehog syndrome, and they can also get pneumonia. They can sometimes pass a skin infection called ringworm to people or other hedgehogs.

Balloon syndrome

Main article: Balloon syndrome

Hedgehogs can rarely get a condition called balloon syndrome, where gas gets trapped under their skin. Vets can help by removing the air.

Human influence

Hedgehogs often live close to humans, which can sometimes be risky. For example, they may get hurt when trying to cross roads. In Ireland, hedgehogs are often one of the small animals that are hit by cars.

Studies show that hedgehogs are actually more common in cities and towns than in the countryside. Because of this, many hedgehogs make their homes in urban areas.

Culinary and medicinal use

Hedgehogs have been used as food in many cultures, including Ancient Egypt and during the Late Middle Ages. In some places, like the Middle East and among Bedouins, people thought hedgehog meat could help with health problems such as rheumatism and arthritis.

In Morocco, parts of the hedgehog were used to treat different illnesses. Some people believed that eating hedgehog meat or using its blood and fat could cure sickness. Even today, some groups like the Romani people still cook and eat hedgehogs. In 1981, a British pub made special crisps called "Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps," but they didn’t have real hedgehog meat in them, so they had to change the name.

Genera and species

See also: List of erinaceids

Hedgehogs belong to a group called Erinaceinae. There are five types, or genera, of hedgehogs. These include the Four-toed hedgehog, European hedgehog, and Desert hedgehog, among others. Hedgehog species live in Europe, Asia, and Africa. One type has been introduced to New Zealand.

Society and culture

Hedgehogs are often seen as clever and wise in stories from Asia and Europe. In Africa, they are linked to magic. In Britain, hedgehogs are frequently voted as one of the most loved animals.