Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews and they have changed little over the last fifteen million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life.
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All species of hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball in self-defence, causing all of the spines to point outwards. The hedgehog's back contains two large muscles that control the position of the quills. When the creature is rolled into a ball, the quills on the back protect the tucked face, feet, and belly, which are not quilled.
They feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons and watermelons. During hibernation, the body temperature of a hedgehog can decrease to about 2 °C (36 °F).
It is illegal to own a hedgehog as a pet in some US municipalities. In New Zealand and the islands of Scotland, the hedgehog has become a pest. In New Zealand it causes immense damage to native species including insects, snails, lizards and ground-nesting birds, particularly shore birds. As with many introduced animals, it lacks natural predators.
By Gibe, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29948
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Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, do not easily detach from their bodies. However, the immature animal's spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines.
All species of hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball in self-defence, causing all of the spines to point outwards. The hedgehog's back contains two large muscles that control the position of the quills. When the creature is rolled into a ball, the quills on the back protect the tucked face, feet, and belly, which are not quilled.
They feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons and watermelons. During hibernation, the body temperature of a hedgehog can decrease to about 2 °C (36 °F).
It is illegal to own a hedgehog as a pet in some US municipalities. In New Zealand and the islands of Scotland, the hedgehog has become a pest. In New Zealand it causes immense damage to native species including insects, snails, lizards and ground-nesting birds, particularly shore birds. As with many introduced animals, it lacks natural predators.