hedgehog

Also known as Erinaceinae, hedgepig, urchin, urcheon, hedgehogs

A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. However, the extinct genus Amphechinus was once present in North America.

AI overview

A hedgehog is a small, spiny mammal found naturally in Europe, Asia, and Africa, with 17 species spread across five genera. These animals are notable for their distinctive spines and their presence across multiple continents, though they do not naturally occur in Australia or the Americas.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Engelmann's Hedgehog Cactus

species

Observations45,584

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Encyclopedic overview

16 sections

Contents

Etymology
Description
Diet
Hibernation
Reproduction and lifespan
Predators
Domestication
As invasive species
Diseases
Human influence
Culinary and medicinal use
Genera and species
Society and culture
See also
References
External links

Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews (family Soricidae), with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life. Their spiny protection resembles that of porcupines, which are rodents, and echidnas, a type of monotreme.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “hedgehog” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.