A couple have transformed their home into a hospital and haven – for over 500 hedgehogs. Andy Longhurst, 59, and wife Sharon, 50, have dedicated their lives – and home – to care for orphaned, sick and ...
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.
Hedgehogs are small, stout mammals characterized by sharp, keratinized spines or quills on their bodies. They are named so because they creep through hedges, grunting like pigs in search of insects, worms, beetles, termites, and other potential prey.
By curling into a tight ball and tucking in their heads, tail, and legs, they protect the parts of their bodies that do not have stiff, sharp spines. Often compared to pincushions, hedgehogs...
There are 17 species of hedgehog and they are found in Europe, Africa and Asia. In the UK they can live in a variety of habitats including woodland, farmland, parks and gardens. Hedgehogs are also well established in our urban habitat and can, somewhat surprisingly, survive very well in our cities.
hedgehog, (subfamily Erinaceinae), any of 15 Old World species of insectivores possessing several thousand short, smooth spines. Most species weigh under 700 grams (1.5 pounds), but the common western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) can grow to 1,100 grams.
Hedgehogs live on the ground, never in trees. They like to live alone and may be territorial. Some hedgehogs dig burrows in the soil up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) deep. Others prefer to make nests with dead leaves, grasses, and branches.