Hedgehog Kendra Thoen

Erinaceinae 15 species the hedgehog was named because these animals root through & other undergrowth in search of food closely related to the shrew family unrelated to the porcupine even though they look alike

Size: head & body, 5 to 12 inches tail, 1 to 2 inches Weight: 14 to 39 oz

population Hedgehogs now appear to be declining at the same rate that tigers are globally - around 5% a year in rural and urban areas

Group: Array or Prickle Young: Hoglet Left: Male hedgehog called a boar. Right: Female hedgehog called a sow.

mating usually solitary, pairing up only to mate when they mate they make loud snuffling noises the male circles the female to persuade her to mate they separate after & the male takes no part in the family

reproduction hedgehogs meet sexual maturity during the 2nd year of life reproduction can occur anytime between Sept & April, but the period of greatest activity occurs in May & June Gestation Period: 30 to 40 days

the hedgehog life hedgehogs are born blind & their spines are soft their mother will feed them until they can hunt for themselves after about 4 weeks, the mom will take her young out for their 1st hunting trip & then 10 days after that the family will separate starting in Oct they build nests of leaves & grass so they can hibernate when winter comes lifespan is 2 to 5 years

habitat mainly hedgerows, woodland and meadows also found in sub-urban gardens within their habitat, they normally have a few sleeping nests hedgehogs are nocturnal, after dusk they leave nests to forage for food

diet insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs & snakes some people think hedgehogs are useful pets because they prey on many common garden pests while they hunt, they rely upon their senses of hearing and smell because their eyesight is weak

food chain

facts coats are thick & spiney, provides defense against fox when they feel alarmed, they’ll curl up into a ball to protect their stomach have about 5000 spines, each spine lasts about a year then drops out & a replacement grows may be up to 500 fleas on 1 hedgehog, this hedgehog flea rarely bites humans

works cited http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hedgehog/ http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/wild.shtml http://www.onekind.org/be_inspired/animals_a_z/hedgehog/ http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/breeding-and-babies.html