Editing Hedgehog

{{short description|Subfamily of small spiny mammals}}
{{About|the spiny mammal|other uses|Hedgehog (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes|}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Hedgehogs<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Erinaceomorpha | id = 13600003 | pages = 212–217}}</ref>
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Late Eocene | Recent}}
| image = Igel.JPG
| image_caption = [[European hedgehog]]
| taxon = Erinaceinae
| authority = [[Johann Fischer von Waldheim|G. Fischer]], 1814
| type_genus = ''[[Erinaceus]]''
| type_genus_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = *''[[Atelerix]]''
* ''[[Erinaceus]]''
* ''[[Hemiechinus]]''
* ''[[Mesechinus]]''
* ''[[Paraechinus]]''
}}

A ''' hedgehog ''' is a spiny [[mammal]] of the subfamily '''Erinaceinae''', in the [[eulipotyphla]]n family [[Erinaceidae]]. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five [[genus|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.

Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with [[shrew]]s (family Soricidae), with [[gymnure]]s possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last 15 million years.<ref name='13 ways'>{{cite journal|vauthors=Reiter C, Gould GC |title=Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Hedgehog|journal= Natural History|year=1998|volume= 107 |issue =6|pages=52}}</ref> Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life.<ref name="nocturnal">{{cite web |url=http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/facts/hedge.htm |title=WildlifeTrust.org.uk |publisher=WildlifeTrust.org.uk |access-date=2013-02-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212223618/http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/facts/hedge.htm |archive-date=12 February 2013}}</ref> Their spiny protection resembles that of [[porcupine]]s, which are rodents, and [[echidna]]s, a type of [[monotreme]].

==Etymology==
The name ''hedgehog'' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the [[Middle English]] {{lang|enm|heyghoge}}, from {{lang|enm|heyg}}, {{lang|enm|hegge}} {{gloss|hedge}}, because it frequents [[hedge]]rows, and {{lang|enm|hoge}}, {{lang|enm|hogge}} {{gloss|hog}}, from its piglike snout.<ref>{{Cite OED|hedgehog|4463012899}}</ref> Other names that are used are ''urchin''<ref>{{Citation |last=Cresswell |first=Julia |title=Urchin |date=2010-01-01 |work=The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins |editor-last= |editor-first= |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199547920.001.0001/acref-9780199547920-e-5252 |access-date=2025-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125180635/https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199547920.001.0001/acref-9780199547920-e-5252 |archive-date=2025-01-25 |url-status=live |publisher=Oxford University Press |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199547920.001.0001/acref-9780199547920-e-5252 |isbn=978-0-19-954792-0}}</ref> and ''hedgepig''.<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|hedgepig|accessdate=2024-01-31}}</ref>

==Description==
Hedgehogs are easily recognized by their [[Spine (zoology)|spines]], which are hollow hairs made stiff with [[keratin]].<ref name=Attenborough>{{cite AV media | author=Attenborough, David | title=Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 2 | volume=Armoured Animals | year=2014 | publisher=UKTV}}</ref> Their spines are not [[poison]]ous or [[wikt:barb|barb]]ed 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. This is called "quilling". Spines can also shed when the animal is diseased or under extreme stress. Hedgehogs are usually brown, with pale tips to the spines, though blonde hedgehogs are found on the Channel Island of [[Alderney]].

[[File:cmglee Horniman hedgehog skin skeleton.jpg|thumb|A skin-skeletal preparation]]
[[File:Hedgehog sting in SEM, 20x en.GIF|thumb|Close-up of the last {{convert|5|mm}} of a hedgehog spine ([[scanning electron microscope|SEM]] microscopy)]]
[[File:Hedgehog in Jurmala.jpg|thumb|right|A hedgehog that feels threatened can roll into a tight ball.]]
Hedgehogs roll into a tight spiny ball when threatened, tucking in the furry face, feet, and belly.<ref name=Attenborough/> The hedgehog's back contains two large muscles that direct the quills. Some light-weight desert hedgehog species with fewer spines are more likely to flee or attack, ramming an intruder with the spines, rolling up only as a last resort.

Hedgehogs are primarily [[nocturnal]], with some species also active during the day. Hedgehogs sleep for a large portion of the day under bushes, grasses, rocks, or most commonly in dens dug underground. All wild hedgehogs can [[hibernation|hibernate]], though the duration depends on  temperature, species, and abundance of food.

Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, with a variety of grunts, snuffles and/or squeals.

They occasionally perform a ritual called [[self-anointing in animals|anointing]].<ref name="National Wildlife 1 June 2005">{{cite news |last= Drew |first= Lisa W. |title= Meet the Hedgehog: What feeds on lizards, chews venomous toad skins and coats its spiky body with frothy saliva? |url= https://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2005/Meet-the-Hedgehog.aspx |date= 1 June 2005 |work= [[National Wildlife]] |location= [[Reston, Virginia]] |publisher= [[National Wildlife Federation]] |access-date= 12 July 2017 |archive-date= 14 September 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150914231116/http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2005/Meet-the-Hedgehog.aspx |url-status= live }}</ref> When the animal encounters a new scent, it will lick and bite the source, then form a scented froth in its mouth and paste it on its [[Spine (zoology)|spines]] with its [[tongue]]. Some experts believe this might serve to [[camouflage]] the hedgehog with the local scent, and might also lead to infection of predators poked by the spines. Anointing is sometimes also called [[anting (bird activity)|anting]] after a similar behavior in birds.

Like [[opossums]], mice, and [[mole (animal)|moles]], hedgehogs have some natural [[Snake venom#Immunity|immunity]] against some [[snake venom]] through the protein [[erinacin]] in their muscles, though in such small amounts that a [[Viperidae|viper]] bite may still be fatal.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Tamotsu |last=Omori-Satoha |author2=Yoshio Yamakawab |author3=Dietrich Mebs |title=The antihemorrhagic factor, erinacin, from the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), a metalloprotease inhibitor of large molecular size possessing ficolin/opsonin P35 lectin domains |journal=Toxicon |volume=38 |issue=11 |pages=1561–80 |date=November 2000 |pmid=10775756 |doi=10.1016/S0041-0101(00)00090-8 |bibcode=2000Txcn...38.1561O }}</ref> In addition, hedgehogs are one of four known mammalian groups with natural protection against another snake venom, [[Snake venom#Neurotoxins|α-neurotoxin]]. Developing independently, [[Wild boar|pig]]s, [[honey badger]]s, [[mongoose]]s, and hedgehogs all have mutations in the [[nicotinic acetylcholine receptor]] that prevent the binding of the [[snake venom]] α-[[neurotoxin]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Drabeck|first1=D.H.|last2=Dean|first2=A.M.|last3=Jansa|first3=S.A.|title=Why the honey badger don't care: Convergent evolution of venom-targeted nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in mammals that survive venomous snake bites|journal=Toxicon|date=1 June 2015|volume=99|pages=68–72|doi=10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.03.007|pmid=25796346|bibcode=2015Txcn...99...68D }}</ref>

The [[Olfactory system|sense of smell]] has been little studied in the hedgehog, as the olfactory part of the mammal brain is obscured inside the [[Neocortex|neopallium]]. Tests have suggested that hedgehogs share the same olfactory electrical activity as cats.<ref>{{Cite journal |title = Olfactory reactions in the brain of the hedgehog|date = 1942 |journal = The Journal of Physiology |volume= 100 |issue = 4|pages= 459–473 |last = Adrian|first = E. D.|doi = 10.1113/jphysiol.1942.sp003955|pmid = 16991539|pmc = 1393326}}</ref>

==Diet==
Although traditionally classified in the abandoned order [[Insectivora]], hedgehogs are [[Omnivore|omnivorous]]. They feed on [[insect]]s, [[snail]]s, [[frog]]s and [[toad]]s, [[snake]]s, [[egg (biology)|bird eggs]], [[carrion]], [[mushroom]]s, grass roots, [[berry|berries]], and [[melon]]s.<ref name=Attenborough/> [[Afghan hedgehog]]s devour berries in early spring after hibernation.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} Hedgehogs have been observed eating cat food left outdoors for pets.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

==Hibernation==
When a hedgehog hibernates, its normal {{convert|30-35|C}} body temperature  decreases to {{convert|2-5|C}}.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Heart-beat of the Hibernating Hedgehog|bibcode = 1951Natur.168..211S|journal = Nature|date = 1951-08-01|issn = 0028-0836|pages = 211|volume = 168|issue = 4266|doi = 10.1038/168211b0|pmid = 14875055|first1 = Paavo|last1 = Suomalainen|first2 = Samuli|last2 = Sarajas|s2cid = 4158610|doi-access = free}}</ref>

==Reproduction and lifespan==
Hedgehog [[gestation period|gestation]] lasts 35–58 days, depending on species. The average litter is three to four newborns for larger species and five to six for smaller ones. As with many animals, it is not unusual for an adult male hedgehog to kill newborn males.

Hedgehogs have a relatively long lifespan for their size. In captivity, lack of predators and controlled diet contribute to a lifespan of eight to ten years depending on size. In the wild, larger species live four to seven years (some recorded up to 16 years), and smaller species live two to four years (four to seven in [[captivity (animal)|captivity]]). This compares to a mouse at two years and a large [[rat]] at three to five years.

Newborn hoglets are blind, with their quills covered by a protective membrane which dries and shrinks over several hours,<ref>[http://www.hamorhollow.com/gallery/20040420-01-Hedgies-Newborn/20040420_011_Hedgies_Newborn_DWC768 Litter – Burlington and MIDI (2004-04-19)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710024135/http://www.hamorhollow.com/gallery/20040420-01-Hedgies-Newborn/20040420_011_Hedgies_Newborn_DWC768 |date=10 July 2009 }}. hamorhollow.com</ref> and falls off after cleaning, allowing the quills to emerge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hedghogz.co.uk/hedgehogs/babies.php |title=Babies & Reproduction |publisher=Hedghogz.co.uk |access-date=2009-03-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906214457/http://www.hedghogz.co.uk/hedgehogs/babies.php |archive-date=6 September 2013}}</ref>

==Predators==
The various species have many predators: while forest hedgehogs are prey primarily to birds (especially [[owl]]s) and [[ferret]]s, smaller species like the [[long-eared hedgehog]] are prey to [[fox]]es, [[Gray wolf|wolves]], and [[mongoose]]s. Hedgehog bones have been found in the pellets of the [[Eurasian eagle owl]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100417205306/http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/s/0MInsectivor/Erinaceidae/Erinaceus/Erinaceus_europaeus/14WEHBehSocial.html Social Behaviour / Territoriality / Predation / Learning: West European Hedgehog]. wildlifeinformation.org</ref>

In Britain, a predator in intensively farmed areas is the [[European badger]] with populations lower in areas with many badgers.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://hedgehogcage.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1116_hedgehogs_on_arable_farms.1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102939/http://hedgehogcage.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1116_hedgehogs_on_arable_farms.1.pdf |archive-date=2014-10-06 |url-status=live |quote=Badger predation of hedgehogs was high in the study site and the main cause of death |doi=10.1111/j.1469-1795.2010.00359.x|title=The value of agri-environment schemes for macro-invertebrate feeders: Hedgehogs on arable farms in Britain|year=2010|last1=Hof|first1=A. R.|last2=Bright|first2=P. W.|journal=Animal Conservation|volume=13|issue=5|pages=467–473|bibcode=2010AnCon..13..467H |s2cid=82793575 }}</ref> Some hedgehog rescue societies will not release hedgehogs into known badger territories.<ref>[http://www.snufflelodge.org.uk/?page_id=929 Where have all the hedgehogs gone ?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617042849/http://www.snufflelodge.org.uk/?page_id=929 |date=17 June 2018 }}. Snufflelodge.org.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-05.</ref> Badgers also compete with hedgehogs for food.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/leaflets/sobh.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518140939/http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/leaflets/sobh.pdf |archive-date=2013-05-18 |url-status=live|title=The State of Britain's Hedgehogs 2011|author=David Wembridge|publisher=The British Hedgehog Preservation Society}}</ref>

==Domestication==
{{Main|Domesticated hedgehog}}
[[File:HandheldHedgeHog.png|thumb|[[African pygmy hedgehog]] being held]]
The most common pet species of hedgehog are [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrids]] of the white-bellied hedgehog or [[four-toed hedgehog]] (''Atelerix albiventris'', sometimes known as the African pygmy hedgehog) and the smaller [[North African hedgehog]] (''A. algirus'', pygmy hedgehog).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/exotic/complete-guide-hedgehogs|title=The Complete Guide to Hedgehogs|website=www.petmd.com|access-date=2020-02-16|archive-date=16 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200216225547/https://www.petmd.com/exotic/complete-guide-hedgehogs|url-status=live}}</ref> Other species kept as pets are the [[long-eared hedgehog]] (''Hemiechinus auritus'') and the [[Indian long-eared hedgehog]] (''H. collaris'').

{{as of|2019}}, it is illegal to own a hedgehog as a pet in the US states of [[Hawaii]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[California]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Moss|first=Laura|date=2019-04-01|title=Hedgehogs are a prickly issue in some states|url=https://www.treehugger.com/pet-hedgehogs-are-a-prickly-issue-for-some-states-4863969|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018195637/https://www.treehugger.com/pet-hedgehogs-are-a-prickly-issue-for-some-states-4863969|archive-date=2020-10-18|access-date=2020-10-18|website=treehugger.com}}</ref> as well as in [[New York City]], [[Washington, D.C.]] and some Canadian municipalities. Breeding licenses are required. No such restrictions exist in most European countries with the exception of [[Scandinavia]]. In [[Italy]], it is illegal to keep wild hedgehogs as pets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.corpoforestale.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/6293|website=Corpo Forestale dello Stato|title=Fauna selvativa e specie protette|access-date=31 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102070109/http://www.corpoforestale.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/6293|archive-date=2 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==As invasive species==
In areas where hedgehogs have been introduced, [[Hedgehogs in New Zealand|such as New Zealand]] and the islands of [[Scotland]], the hedgehog has become a pest, lacking natural predators. In New Zealand it has decimated native species including insects, [[snail]]s, lizards and ground-nesting birds, particularly shore birds.<ref name="landcare">{{cite web| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031001170723/http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/release.asp?Ne_ID=86| archive-date=2003-10-01 |url=http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/news/release.asp?Ne_ID=86| title=Hedgehogs pose prickly problem for native fauna|date=17 September 2003|publisher=[[Landcare Research]] media release |access-date=6 December 2011}}</ref>

Eradication can be troublesome. Attempts to [[island restoration|eliminate]] hedgehogs from bird colonies on the Scottish islands of [[North Uist]] and [[Benbecula]] in the [[Outer Hebrides]] were met with international protest. Eradication began in 2003 with 690 hedgehogs killed, though animal welfare groups attempted rescues. By 2007, [[injunction|legal injunctions]] prohibited the killing, and in 2008, the elimination process was changed to trapping and releasing on the mainland.<ref>{{cite news |first=David |last=Ross |date=14 January 2009 |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/18-trappers-sought-for-hebrides-to-protect-birds-from-hedgehogs-1.899715 |title=18 Trappers Sought for Hebrides to Protect Birds from Hedgehogs |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |access-date=12 June 2009 |archive-date=10 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810225805/http://www.heraldscotland.com/18-trappers-sought-for-hebrides-to-protect-birds-from-hedgehogs-1.899715 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, it was reported that the hedgehog population in rural Britain was declining rapidly, down by 30{{ndash}}75% since 2000.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 February 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60436607 |title=Hedgehog population plummets in UK countryside, research suggests |website=BBC News |access-date=22 February 2022 |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222065825/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60436607 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Diseases==
Hedgehogs suffer many diseases common to mammals,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wildlifeinformation.org/Preview_WildPro/List_Vols/Complete_Hedgehog/List_UKHedgehog_Disease.htm |title=List of Hedgehog diseases |publisher=Wildlifeinformation.org |access-date=2009-03-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726153202/http://www.wildlifeinformation.org/Preview_WildPro/List_Vols/Complete_Hedgehog/List_UKHedgehog_Disease.htm |archive-date=26 July 2010 }}</ref> including cancer, [[fatty liver|fatty liver disease]], and [[cardiovascular disease]].

Cancer is very common in hedgehogs. The most common is [[squamous cell carcinoma]], which spreads quickly from bone to the organs, unlike in humans. Surgery to remove the bone tumors is impractical.

Fatty liver and heart disease are believed to be caused by an unhealthy diet and obesity. Hedgehogs will eagerly eat foods high in fat and sugar, despite a metabolism adapted for low-fat, protein-rich insects.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Hedgehogs are also highly susceptible to pneumonia, with difficulty breathing and nasal discharge,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hedgehogs - Diseases |url=http://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hedgehogs-diseases |access-date=2020-11-02 |website=vca_corporate |language=en |archive-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124165556/https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/hedgehogs-diseases |url-status=live }}</ref> caused by the bacterium ''Bordetella bronchiseptica''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Common Diseases Of Hedgehogs |url=https://www.bowmanvilleveterinaryclinic.com/common-diseases-of-hedgehogs |access-date=2020-11-02 |website=Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic |language=en-US |archive-date=6 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106193202/https://www.bowmanvilleveterinaryclinic.com/common-diseases-of-hedgehogs |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Hedgehogs uncommonly transmit a fungal [[ringworm]] or [[dermatophytosis]] skin infection to human handlers and other hedgehogs, caused by ''[[Trichophyton]] erinacei'', a distinct mating group among the ''[[Arthroderma]] benhamiae'' fungi.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Yoko |last=Takahashi |author2=Ayako Sano |author3=Kayoko Takizawa |author4=Kazutaka Fukushima |author5=Makoto Miyaji |author6=Kazuko Nishimura |title=The epidemiology and mating behavior of ''Arthroderma benhamiae'' var. ''erinacei'' in household four-toed hedgehogs (''Atelerix albiventris'') in Japan |journal=Japanese Journal of Medical Mycology |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=31–8 |year=2003 |pmid=12590257 |doi= 10.3314/jjmm.44.31 |url=http://www.jsmm.org/common/jjmm44-1_031.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031101220005/http://www.jsmm.org/common/jjmm44-1_031.pdf |archive-date=2003-11-01 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[File:Hedgehog suffering from balloon syndrome before deflating 2.jpg|thumb|alt= caption | Hedgehog suffering from balloon syndrome before deflating]]
Hedgehogs can suffer from [[balloon syndrome]], a rare condition in which gas is trapped under the skin from injury or infection, causing the animal to inflate. The condition is unique to hedgehogs because their skin is baggy enough to curl up.<ref name="BBC 12 June 2017" /> In 2017, the [[BBC]] reported a case of a male hedgehog "almost twice its natural size, literally blown up like a beach ball with incredibly taut skin".<ref name="BBC News 11 June 2017">{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-40239831 |title= Hedgehog 'blown up like beach ball' has balloon syndrome |author= |date= 11 June 2017 |website= [[BBC News Online]] |publisher= BBC | access-date= 11 June 2017 }}</ref><ref name="BBC News 22 May 2013">{{cite web |author=Staff writer(s) |date=22 May 2013 |title=Inflated 'balloon' hedgehog saved from 'rupturing' by vet |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22631197 |access-date=11 June 2017 |website=[[BBC News Online]] |publisher=BBC}}</ref> At [[Stapeley]]'s Wildlife Hospital, vet Bev Panto, said, "I have seen three or four of these cases and they are very strange every time and quite shocking ... When you first see them they appear to be very big hedgehogs but when you pick them up they feel so light because they are mostly air".<ref name="BBC 12 June 2017">{{cite web |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-40252983|title= Balloon syndrome hedgehog is 'popped'|author= Staff writer(s) |date= 12 June 2017|website= [[BBC News Online]] |publisher= BBC | access-date= 12 June 2017 }}</ref> The British Hedgehog Preservation Society advises:
<blockquote>There is no single cause for this condition. The air can be removed by incising or aspirating through the skin over the back. Antibiotic cover should be given. This may be associated with lung/chest wall damage or a small external wound acting like a valve or a clostridium type infection.<ref name="British Hedgehog Preservation Society">{{cite web |url= http://britishhedgehogs.org.uk/leaflets/L8-Care-and-Treatment.pdf#page=14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412082914/http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/leaflets/L8-Care-and-Treatment.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-12 |url-status=live|title= ' Care and Treatment of Sick and Injured Hedgehogs |last= Forshaw| first= Hugh|website= britishhedgehogs.org.uk |publisher= British Hedgehog Preservation Society | access-date= 11 June 2017 }}</ref></blockquote>

==Human influence==
As with most small mammals living around humans, many are [[roadkill|run over as they attempt to cross roadways]]. In [[Ireland]], hedgehogs are one of the most common mammalian road fatalities. Between April 2008 and November 2010 on two stretches of road measuring 227&nbsp;km and 32.5&nbsp;km, there were 133 recorded hedgehog fatalities. Of another 135 hedgehog carcasses collected from throughout Ireland, there were significantly more males than females collected, with peaks in male deaths occurring in May and June. Female deaths outnumbered males only in August, with further peaks in female deaths observed in June and July. It is suggested that these peaks are related to the breeding season (adults) and dispersal/exploration following independence.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.2981/wlb.12126|title=Hedgehog ''Erinaceus europaeus'' mortality on Irish roads|journal=Wildlife Biology|volume=20|issue=3|pages=155–160|year=2014|last1=Haigh|first1=Amy|last2=O'Riordan|first2=Ruth M.|last3=Butler|first3=Fidelma|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Culinary and medicinal use==
Hedgehogs are a food source in many cultures. They were eaten in [[Ancient Egyptian cuisine|Ancient Egypt]] and some recipes of the [[Medieval cuisine|Late Middle Ages]] call for hedgehog meat.<ref>{{cite news |first=Helen |last=Pidd |url=https://www.theguardian.com/britain/article/0,,2169066,00.html |title=Roast hedgehog and nettle pud – a slap-up feast for ancient Britons |work=The Guardian |date=14 September 2007 |access-date=12 June 2009 |location=London |archive-date=28 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528231815/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/sep/14/britishidentity.lifeandhealth |url-status=live }}</ref> They are traded throughout Eurasia and Africa for traditional medicine and witchcraft. In the Middle East and especially among [[Bedouin]]s, hedgehog meat is considered medicine against  [[rheumatism]] and [[arthritis]].<ref>{{Cite book
 |last = Qumsiyeh
 |first = Mazin B.
 |title = Mammals of the Holy Land
 |publisher = Texas Tech UP
 |page = [https://archive.org/details/mammalsofholylan00qums/page/64 64]
 |url = https://archive.org/details/mammalsofholylan00qums
 |url-access = registration
 |isbn = 978-0-89672-364-1
 |year = 1996}}</ref> Hedgehogs are also said to cure a variety of disorders from [[tuberculosis]] to impotence. In [[Morocco]], inhaling the smoke of the burnt skin or bristles supposedly remedies fever, impotence, and urinary illnesses; the blood is sold as a cure for [[ringworm]], cracked skin and [[wart]]s, and the flesh is eaten as a remedy for witchcraft.<ref name="Bergin">{{cite journal|author1=Nijman, V.  |author2=Bergin, D. |year=2015|title= Trade in hedgehogs (Mammalia: Erinaceidae) in Morocco, with an overview of their trade for medicinal purposes throughout Africa and Eurasia|journal= Journal of Threatened Taxa |volume=7|issue=5|pages=7131–7137|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275461953 |doi=10.11609/JoTT.o4271.7131-7 |doi-access=free}}</ref> [[Romani people]] still eat hedgehogs, boiled or roasted, and also use the blood and the fat as a medicine.<ref>{{Cite book
 |last = Wood
 |first = Manfri Frederick
 |title = In the Life of a Romany Gypsy
 |publisher = J.A. Brune
 |pages = 80–81
 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LpkOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA80
 |isbn = 978-0-7100-0197-9
 |date = 1979
 |access-date = 28 February 2021
 |archive-date = 10 February 2023
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230210123521/https://books.google.com/books?id=LpkOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA80
 |url-status = live
 }}</ref>

In 1981, British publican Philip Lewis developed a line of [[Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps]], whose taste was apparently based on the flavourings used by Romani to bake hedgehogs.<ref name="emerson">{{cite book |last1=Emerson |first1=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kxjq6_gG0eoC |title=Read the Label!: Discover what's really in your food |date=24 April 2012 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-1-4481-4684-0 |page=81 |language=en |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210123521/https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Read_the_Label/kxjq6_gG0eoC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="star">{{cite news |date=28 February 2017 |title=Hedgehog Crisps' Welshpool inventor dies, aged 74 |language=en |work=Shropshire Star |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/02/28/hedgehog-crisps-welshpool-inventor-dies-aged-74/ |access-date=7 August 2021 |archive-date=20 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620224957/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/02/28/hedgehog-crisps-welshpool-inventor-dies-aged-74/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As they did not contain any actual hedgehog product, the [[Office of Fair Trading]] ordered him to change the name to Hedgehog Flavour Crisps.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/02/28/hedgehog-crisps-welshpool-inventor-dies-aged-74/ |title=Hedgehog Crisps' Welshpool inventor dies, aged 74 |work=Shropshire Star |date=28 February 2017 |access-date=15 September 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=27 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027202159/https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/02/28/hedgehog-crisps-welshpool-inventor-dies-aged-74/ }}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:Egypt, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III - Hedgehog - 1975.24 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|Hedgehog amulet from Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18. Steatite. Cleveland Museum of Art. 1391 BCE to 1353 BCE
File:Rhyton hedgehog Mycenaean, Staatliche Antikensammlungen Munich 120521.jpg|Ceramic rhyton in the form of a hedgehog. Mycenaean. 14th to 13th century BCE
File:Ancient Egypt Faience Hedgehog; from Thebes; Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty (28716615256).jpg|Hedgehog sculpture. Faience. Ancient Egypt, Thebes. 1991 BCE to 1778 BCE
</gallery>

==Genera and species==
[[File:Long Eared hedgehog.jpg|thumb|[[Long-eared hedgehog]]]]
{{see also|List of erinaceids}}
Subfamily '''Erinaceinae''' ('''hedgehogs''')<ref name=msw3/>
* Genus ''[[Atelerix]]''
** [[Four-toed hedgehog]], ''Atelerix albiventris''
** [[North African hedgehog]], ''Atelerix algirus''
** [[Southern African hedgehog]], ''Atelerix frontalis''
** [[Somali hedgehog]], ''Atelerix sclateri''
* Genus ''[[Erinaceus]]''
** [[Amur hedgehog]], ''Erinaceus amurensis''
** [[Southern white-breasted hedgehog]], ''Erinaceus concolor''
** [[European hedgehog]], ''Erinaceus europaeus''
** [[Northern white-breasted hedgehog]], ''Erinaceus roumanicus''
* Genus ''[[Hemiechinus]]''
** [[Long-eared hedgehog]], ''Hemiechinus auritus''
** [[Indian long-eared hedgehog]], ''Hemiechinus collaris''
* Genus ''[[Mesechinus]]''
** [[Daurian hedgehog]], ''Mesechinus dauuricus''
** [[Hugh's hedgehog]], ''Mesechinus hughi''
** [[Small-toothed forest hedgehog]], ''Mesechinus miodon''
** [[Gaoligong forest hedgehog]], ''Mesechinus wangi''
* Genus ''[[Paraechinus]]''
** [[Desert hedgehog]], ''Paraechinus aethiopicus''
** [[Brandt's hedgehog]], ''Paraechinus hypomelas''
** [[Indian hedgehog]], ''Paraechinus micropus ''
** [[Bare-bellied hedgehog]], ''Paraechinus nudiventris''

==Society and culture==
{{main |Hedgehogs in culture}}
In worldwide folklore, hedgehogs are associated with intelligence and wisdom (Asia, Europe), and magic (Africa).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Nigel |date=2023-03-29 |title=Hedgehogs in folklore |url=https://wildlife-matters.org/064-hedgehogs-in-folklore/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=Wildlife Matters |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Columns-list|
* ''[[The Hedgehog and the Fox]]''
* [[Echidna]]s or "spiny anteaters" of order [[Monotreme|Monotremata]] (egg-laying mammals)
* [[Porcupine]]s, two [[rodent]] families with spines or quills
* [[Lesser hedgehog tenrec]]
* [[Greater hedgehog tenrec]]
* [[Hedgehog's dilemma]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|hedgehog}}
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Erinaceinae}}
* [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Erinaceinae.html#Erinaceinae Hedgehog reference at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081206195642/http://www.wildlife-web.org.uk/hedgehog/facts/ Hedgehog facts]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180727181203/https://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/top-navigation/wildlife-advice/hedgehog-fact-sheet.html Hedgehog care and advice]
* [http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/hedgehogs.html Natural History of European Hedgehogs (Wildlife Online)]
* {{Cite Americana|short=1|wstitle=Hedgehog}}

{{Eulipotyphla|E.}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q6120}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hedgehog}}
[[Category:Hedgehogs| ]]
[[Category:Rolling animals]]