This article is about the spiny mammal. For other uses, see hedgehog (disambiguation).

A hedgehog is any of the small spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Insectivora. There are 15 species of hedgehog in four genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. There are no hedgehogs native to the Americas or Australia. Hedgehogs have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals they have adapted to a nocturnal, insectivorous way of life.

Physical description

---

Hedgehogs are easily distinguished by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, cannot easily be removed from the animal. However, spines normally come out when a hedgehog sheds baby spines and replaces them with adult spines around the first year. When under extreme stress or during sickness, a hedgehog will lose spines.

Hedgehogs are most closely related to gymnures and other insectivores, including moles, shrews, tenrecs, the extinct deinogalerix and solenodons.

More on [ Hedgehog ]

Hedgehogs - Twitter Search

Hedgehogs: the pet you can't pet - Fruzsina Eordogh - Subcultured ... http://bit.ly/7ZHdab
Lover_of_pets (Animal Lover) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:46:53 -0000
Hedgehogs: the pet you can't pet - Fruzsina Eordogh - Subcultured ... http://bit.ly/7ZHdab
Hedgehogs: the pet you can't pet - Fruzsina Eordogh - Subcultured ... http://bit.ly/5pthxo
PetTimes (pet ) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:46:49 -0000
Hedgehogs: the pet you can't pet - Fruzsina Eordogh - Subcultured ... http://bit.ly/5pthxo
@jamesepain I'd be a hedgehog. I like hedgehogs. #QandC
Paul_Cornell (Paul_Cornell) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:27:39 -0000
@jamesepain I'd be a hedgehog. I like hedgehogs. #QandC
There have been hedgehogs; there have been foxes; and then there was Paul Samuelson. http://bit.ly/6td70N
moneyscience (moneyscience) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:15:56 -0000
There have been hedgehogs; there have been foxes; and then there was Paul Samuelson. http://bit.ly/6td70N
i feel like hedgehogs can see into my soul
nucleophilic (Bubl) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:52:44 -0000
i feel like hedgehogs can see into my soul
Look after wildlife: Check bonfires before they are lit for hibernating hedgehogs, toads and frogs.
Gardora (Gardora) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:56:00 -0000
Look after wildlife: Check bonfires before they are lit for hibernating hedgehogs, toads and frogs.

Subscribe to Hedgehogs RSS feed