Amazing Hedgehog Facts: Surprising Traits, Defense Mechanisms, and Fun Cultural Stories

Protective Spines

Hedgehogs grow and shed their spines like feathers; new ones grow. Hedgehogs' bodies are covered with about 5000 to 7000 spines. These spines are modified hairs. Contrary to popular belief, porcupine spines have no venom or stinging properties, they only provide mechanical defense. In case of danger, a hedgehog's spines erect and assume a defensive position. Definitely ready for the challenge!!!

Senses

Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but an excellent sense of smell and hearing. Thanks to their long snouts, hedgehogs can easily find small insects and worms. Hedgehogs' tongues are very sensitive; they can detect flavors in their environment. This makes them good gourmets. Hedgehogs' hearing is sensitive enough to detect even low-frequency sounds because their ears are large for their body. Don't mumble, buddy, I can hear what you're saying! Hedgehogs are not born with spines; they are soft at birth and harden within a few hours. Nature watches over mother hedgehog!

Life span

Porcupines have thick skin. The skin, especially on the back, is extra resistant to predator bites.  Nevertheless, they can live about 4-7 years in their natural habitat and 8-10 years in domestic environments.

Strong Defense

When hedgehogs feel threatened, they curl themselves into a ball and stick out their spines. They also make their spines more effective by rocking slightly back and forth. Hedgehogs sometimes make growling or hissing noises as they erect their spines to deter predators. So when a hedgehog hisses or makes strange noises, it may be afraid of you. Considering that some hedgehogs can make sudden leaps over short distances to surprise predators, it's worth being careful.

Self-anointing

Hedgehogs exhibit “self-anointing” behavior (rubbing saliva on their own body); when they find strongly scented substances, they do so to provide extra protection.

Lifestyle

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, usually solitary and only meet other hedgehogs during the mating season. They use their scent glands to mark their territory. Thanks to their strong memory, they can remember food sources and dangerous areas.

Night Runners

Strange as it may sound, they are very good swimmers; they can wade and swim across waterways. Porcupines can cover 2-3 kilometers during the night, which is a good distance considering their short legs. The main reason why they are especially active at night is to reduce the risk of predators.

Natural Enemy: Badgers

Hedgehogs find it very difficult to protect themselves from badgers, one of their natural enemies. Given the balance of nature, it is not surprising that each species has other species that are easy prey or preyed upon.

They Love Rain

Hedgehogs use their long claws to dig in the soil for insects and worms. This is why they are more active after rain, because when the soil softens it is easier to find prey.

Feces Sniffer

Did you know that hedgehogs sometimes assess their health by sniffing their own droppings? The constant threat of predation can cause them extreme stress, and when they are stressed they can become ill or develop behavioral disorders. If hedgehogs' stress levels are high, their eating habits can change. Stressed hedgehogs either lose their appetite or start overeating.

Preparing for Winter Sleep

Hedgehogs overfeed and store fat by making their pre-winter diet insect-heavy. Hedgehogs sometimes go into partial hibernation during cold weather and remain inactive for a few days, then wake up again.

Sensitivity to Noise

Hedgehogs are very sensitive to sounds and vibrations emitted by humans. That's why pet hedgehogs are more comfortable in quiet and calm environments. If you have a pet hedgehog, you should be careful to keep it away from fear of predation and stress.

Day Sleepers

Hedgehogs try to stay cool in extremely hot weather by sleeping completely during the day. If you come across a sleeping hedgehog on a hot day, don't disturb it.

Diet and Foraging

Hedgehogs are not carnivores, but most of their diet consists of insects, worms and snails. However, they can also eat small vertebrates such as lizards, small snakes and frogs. Hedgehogs also eat fruit and vegetables, especially ripe fallen fruit. Insect larvae play an important role in their diet, especially as they prefer a fatty diet.

Master Sniffers

Hedgehogs' foraging behavior relies heavily on hearing and smell. They locate insects and earthworms by sniffing the soil as they move through it. Hearing and sniffing predation drives them to hunt at night.

Playing with their prey

Hedgehogs use their paws to pick out poisonous or spiny insects before eating them. Sometimes they kill the large insects they hunt first and then eat them. Sometimes, when they are hungry, they may consume eggs, small rodents and carrion.

They are not very thirsty

Hedgehogs like to drink water, but mostly get enough water from the prey they consume. They are sedentary and sleepy in hot weather, so they do not lose much fluid.

Reproduction and Growth

The breeding season for hedgehogs is usually in late spring and early summer. Hedgehogs recognize each other by scent and sound before mating. Female hedgehogs give birth once or twice a year. A hedgehog gives birth to 3-7 cubs. After birth, baby hedgehogs feed on their mother's milk for the first few weeks. The baby hedgehogs open their eyes at around 2 weeks of age. Male hedgehogs are not involved in the care of the young; the female hedgehog does all the work. The first spines of baby hedgehogs harden completely within 24 hours after birth.

Hibernation and Torpor

European hedgehogs go into hibernation in winter; their heart rate and body temperature drop drastically.Hedgehogs create hidden burrows underground for hibernation.Before hibernation begins, hedgehogs cover their burrows with leaves and twigs to insulate themselves well. Hibernating hedgehogs can go for weeks without waking up. Some hedgehogs living in warmer climates do not hibernate, but may hibernate in summer (aestivation) to avoid extreme heat.

When hedgehogs wake up from hibernation, they feed heavily to regain the weight they have lost in a short time.Hedgehogs coming out of hibernation can be quite lethargic for several days.

City Travelers

Hedgehogs may face human-caused hazards such as traffic accidents in their natural habitat. Due to the loss of their natural habitat, they have also started to live in cities.

Cultural References

Hedgehogs appear in mythology and folklore as symbols of wisdom and protection. Seeing a hedgehog in your dream is usually interpreted as good and auspicious. In European cultures, they are among the animals believed to bring good luck. In ancient Egypt, hedgehogs were depicted in works of art and used as a symbol of immortality.

Habitat

Hedgehogs are found naturally in many parts of Africa, Europe and Asia. There are no natural hedgehog species in North and South America, but domestic hedgehogs are very popular.

Author: M. Ali DOGAN