Page 74 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

A hedgehog is a distinctive and spiny omnivorous mammal, of which there are seventeen spe-
cies in five genera* in the family Erinaceidae. They are found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. There are
no hedgehogs native to the Americas. Australia has banned their import and has no native hedge-
hogs, but does have the ‘Echidna’, sometimes confused with the hedgehog. They have, however, been
introduced into New Zealand. The general size of a male hedgehog (boar) is around 24 to 35 cm, long
and about 1 to 1.5kg in weight. The female
(sow) of the species is usually slightly
smaller.

Hedgehogs are small invertebrates,
covered with around 5000, to 7000 hollow
pointed spikes or quills on their backs. The
quills are brown at the base, and fade into
white at the top. Their underside is usually
covered in a soft, light whitish to brown,
coloured fur. They have a small fur covered
head with a pointed snout and their eyes
are small and round. For the size of its
head its ears are long; about 2-3 cm. Most
species have a short tail and their body is
supported on four legs, 10cm long. Howev-
er, hedgehogs prefer to crawl or hug the
*Hedgehog Genera ground sniffing, using their incredible
sense of smell to locate food just below the
Genus Atelerix surface, so it usually only stand up and fully extends its legs in emer-
Four-toed hedgehog, gencies or to move quickly from one place to another.
North African hedgehog,
Southern African hedgehog, The hedgehog’s habitat is dictated by where in the world it’s lo-
Somali hedgehog, cated. In Africa, hedgehogs live in savannas, forests, and urban areas.
Genus Erinaceus Desert-dwelling hedgehogs live in areas that receive little rainfall,
Amur hedgehog, while the European hedgehogs preferred habitat is around hedgerows
Southern white-breasted or woodlands close to grasslands or derelict areas, even urban areas
hedgehog, like gardens and parks. Some hedgehogs live in burrows while some
European hedgehog, will squat in burrows abandoned by other animals, or live in old box-
Northern white-breasted es, pipes or piles of rubbish discarded by man. However, many build
hedgehog, a nest of leaves, grass and twigs on the surface. Hedgehogs hibernate
Genus Hemiechinus only if it’s necessary. If conditions are good and food plentiful, they
Long-eared hedgehog, will not hibernate. However, when they do hibernate, it’s a fitful pro-
Indian long-eared hedgehog, cess. They are constantly getting up and moving around, even chang-
Genus Mesechinus ing their nest.
Daurian hedgehog,
Hugh's hedgehog, Hedgehogs are omnivores, living on things like beetles, worms,
Small-toothed forest hedge- slugs, grass roots and berries. They are also known to raid birds’
hog, nests for eggs and young chicks. Most species are nocturnal; however,
Gaoligong forest hedgehog, some do come out during the daylight hours. They have very poor
Genus Paraechinus eyesight, but remarkably keen hearing and sense of smell. When for-
Desert hedgehog, aging for food they tend to stay low to the ground, constantly sniffing,
Brandt's hedgehog, with their ears perked-up listening for the slightest sound. They move
Indian hedgehog, very slow, but surprisingly, can cover an area of some 2-3 km’s in one
Bare-bellied hedgehog, night, and when moving fast they can reach a speed of 4 to 6km/h.
Their nocturnal behaviour is possibly due to the fact they have many
predators, like, predatory birds (especially owls), ferrets, foxes, wolves, and mongooses. Their only
defence, and usually a very effective defence, is to roll up into a tight ball of spiky quills.

Although desirable as pets, in many countries and states in America it is illegal to keep them
as pets. These precautionary bans are twofold; one, because of its rarity in certain countries and two,
because hedgehogs carry diseases like, Salmonella and foot-and-mouth. However, many wild animals
carry diseases. With the proper care and attention, most, like the hedgehog, never pass on these dis-
eases to humans.