Hedgehog

Erinaceus Sp.

size/weight/height

Weight: 8 - 24 oz.
Head & Body: 6.5 - 9"
Tail: 0.52"

adaptations/coloration

Color: body brown or gray with yellow ticking • underparts soft light gray hair • body covered with dense spines on upper surfaces
Snout: snout "prehensile" • used to search for food in forest litter

behavior

nocturnal
Defense: escapes enemies by running and hiding in rock crevices & under logs • rolls into ball to use spines as protection
Personality: gregarious • solitary
Vocalization: squeal & grunt when hungry, excited or afraid

reproduction/lifespan

Lifespan: known to live as long as 7 yrs in wild & captivity
Litters: usually 4 - 5
Young: born with soft, short spines which lengthen & harden shortly after birth

diet

Wild: carrion, eggs, frogs, fruit, fungi, lizards, mice, snakes and vegetables
Zoo: Hedgehog Maintenance Chow by Pretty Pets, supplemented by various insects and occasionally fruit.

habitat/range

forest, grassland, scrub areas with adequate food & cover • several species in Europe, Africa & Asia

other

Hedgehogs are not related to hogs. They are an insectivore.