Hedgehog
Scientific Name: Erinaceinae
Distribution: Found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and New Zealand.
Weight: up to 2.6 lbs.
Size: up to 11 inches
Gestation: 30 - 40 days
Description: Hedgehogs are easily recognized 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 be easily plucked from the body. However, the immature animal’s spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines. This is called “quilling”. Spines can also shed when the animal is diseased or under extreme stress.
Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, though some species can also be active during the day. Hedgehogs sleep for a large portion of the day under bush, grass, or rock, or most often in dens dug in the ground, with varying habits among the species. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, though not all do, depending on temperature, species, and abundance of food.