Hedgehog
scientific name
Erinaceus Sp.
size/weight/height
Weight:
8 - 24 oz.
Head & Body: 6.5 - 9"
Tail: 0.52"
adaptations/coloration
Color:
body brown or gray with yellow ticking • underparts soft light
gray hair • body covered with dense spines on upper surfaces
Snout: snout "prehensile" • used to search for food in
forest litter
behavior
nocturnal
Defense: escapes enemies by running and hiding in rock crevices &
under logs • rolls into ball to use spines as protection
Personality: gregarious • solitary
Vocalization: squeal & grunt when hungry, excited or afraid
reproduction/lifespan
Lifespan:
known to live as long as 7 yrs in wild & captivity
Litters: usually 4 - 5
Young: born with soft, short spines which lengthen & harden shortly
after birth
diet
Wild: carrion,
eggs, frogs, fruit, fungi, lizards, mice, snakes and vegetables
Zoo: Hedgehog Maintenance Chow by Pretty Pets, supplemented by various
insects and occasionally fruit.
habitat/range
forest,
grassland, scrub areas with adequate food & cover • several
species in Europe, Africa & Asia
other
Hedgehogs
are not related to hogs. They are an insectivore.
oregon zoo exhibit
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