The hedgehog, known for its quills, is the most famous prickly creature. At the slightest hint of danger, it curls up into a ball, attempting to ward off any potential threat. Hedgehogs are not only found in forests or parks but can also make themselves comfortable in your backyard or garden.
Children and adults alike are fascinated when they encounter this spiky little creature, which is often featured in folklore. Here, AdmiGram.com has compiled some intriguing facts about the lives of these small, spiky animals. How many of these hedgehog facts did you already know?
Hedgehogs: Fascinating Facts for Kids and Adults
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Ancient Mammals: As scientists tell us, hedgehogs are one of the oldest mammal species on Earth. They have been roaming the planet for about 15 million years.
Human-like Teeth: A hedgehog has 36 teeth, almost like humans, and just like human teeth, they can fall out as the animal ages.
The Apple Myth: Children’s books often show hedgehogs carrying apples on their quills, but they can’t actually do that. This myth is often traced back to Pliny the Elder, though it’s not entirely clear how it started.
Not Mouse Hunters: Hedgehogs are technically predators, but contrary to popular belief, they do not hunt mice. Mice are simply too fast for them to catch.
The Exception to the Rule: Eared hedgehogs don’t curl up when threatened. Instead, they’re quick on their feet and try to jab attackers with their spines. If an eared hedgehog is cornered by a predator, it will jump and try to prick the attacker in sensitive areas.
Survival Weight: To survive winter hibernation, a hedgehog needs to weigh at least 1.1 pounds (500 grams). During hibernation, its metabolism slows dramatically: its body temperature drops to 32 °F (0 °C), and its heart rate falls from 170 beats per minute to just five. Hedgehogs living in dry climates don’t hibernate at all.
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The Danger of Cold: If a hedgehog cannot find shelter before the temperature drops to 42 °F (6 °C), it may fall asleep outdoors, and if the temperature then hits freezing, it can die from the cold. Inside its burrow, however, the temperature never drops below freezing (32 °F / 0 °C), even when it’s as cold as -4 °F (-20 °C) outside.
Waking Up Hungry: The waking-up phase after hibernation can take several hours. Over the winter, a hedgehog can lose up to 40% of its body weight. That’s why, as soon as it wakes up, it immediately sets off in search of food.
Senses Over Sight: Hedgehogs can sense prey from several feet away. While they can distinguish colors, their eyesight is quite poor, so they rely mainly on hearing and smell to get around.
Impressive Range: In a single day, a hedgehog can cover up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers). One hedgehog’s territory can span as much as 49 acres (20 hectares).
Cozy Borrowers: Hedgehogs never dig their own burrows — they make use of existing hollows under bushes and piles of debris.
Single Mothers: Male hedgehogs never take part in raising their young. Hoglets are born with soft quills hidden just beneath the skin, and the first visible quills appear about an hour after birth. By the third week of life, hoglets already have a full set of milk teeth.
Growing Up: Around the fifth week, hoglets leave the nest and start following their mother, driven by instinct.
© Fotografías con Limón / Unsplash
The Milk Myth: There’s a popular myth that hedgehogs love milk, but in reality, cow’s milk can be dangerous for them since they are lactose intolerant. If you want to feed a young hedgehog, a specially formulated milk substitute sold at pet supply stores is a much safer choice.
Accidental Swimmers: Hedgehogs can make their way through marshy terrain, and they’re capable swimmers — but they tire quickly and can drown if they stay in the water too long.
Strange Behavior: When a hedgehog picks up on a strong scent, it starts producing saliva and spreading it over its quills. Scientists still aren’t sure why they do this.
Chicken Coop Rumors: It was once believed that hedgehogs deliberately raid chicken coops to eat eggs. That’s not true — if a hedgehog does wander into a coop, it can only eat eggs that are already cracked or broken, since its teeth aren’t built for breaking through shells.
Rare Albinos: About one in every thousand hedgehogs is an albino.
Quill Replacement: Hedgehogs have roughly 3,000 quills, but they replace only about one in three of them over the course of a year.
Immunity to Poison: Hedgehogs can safely eat highly toxic beetles, such as blister beetles. They’re also immune to viper venom; though they don’t actively hunt these snakes, a hedgehog will happily make a meal of one if the opportunity presents itself.
image on top: Siem van Woerkom / Unsplash
