• Hedgehogs or "the rush" (Erinaceinae) are small

mammals covered with spikes; They belong to the

Eulipotyphla order, although formerly they were
considered to be of the Insectivorous order,
nowadays obsolete. There are a total of sixteen
species of hedgehogs divided into five genera; the
only hedgehog that does not belong to these
genera is the giant hedgehog or also known as
Erethizontidae.
• Hedgehogs inhabit Europe, Asia, Africa, and have been introduced to New Zealand. There
are no hedgehogs endemic to Oceania, nor are there any live hedgehogs that are native
to North America. Two species live in Spain, the European hedgehog and the Moorish
hedgehog, but the long-eared hedgehog is very common in captivity. Hedgehogs haven't
changed much in the last fifteen million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have
adopted a mainly nocturnal life and an insectivorous diet.
Characteristics

• The hedgehog is an insectivorous mammal that

measures approximately 24 centimeters and weighs up
to 500 grams. Their backs are covered with spikes and
the rest are covered with brown, black or white hair.
They are lonely and territorial. they usually carry out a
behavior called "anointing" which consists of filling
objects with saliva to mark them. Their gestation lasts
about 35 days and they give birth from 2 to 5 young,
which they wean at 6 weeks. They have an average
lifespan of between 8 years.
• Physically they are characterized by their quills, which
are hollow hairs filled with keratin to give them rigidity.
The spines are not sharp as in the case of the porcupine
(not to be confused with this) nor do they detach easily
from the animal. However, during the first year of life,
the young release their spines to replace them with the
ones they will have. being adults. In long periods of
stress or under some illness they can also lose them.
Natural History
• When threatened, hedgehogs are able to roll into a ball
of spikes, the effectiveness of this ability depends on
the number of spikes they have. This is why desert
hedgehogs, which have evolved to be less heavy, would
rather run away or even attack the intruder with their
quills than rely on their coiling defense.
• Different defense methods carry with them different species of predators: while forest
hedgehogs do not have excessive predators, mainly owls and ferrets, small species like
the long-eared hemiechinus auritus are preyed upon by foxes, wolves or locusts.
• All hedgehog species are primarily nocturnal, although
some may be more active during the day than others.
They sleep for much of the day in the grass or in holes
in the ground. Hedgehogs usually dig burrows to
protect themselves. All species suffer times of lethargy;
some hibernate in winter and others estivate in
summer, depending on the species, temperature and
abundance of food.
Atelerix albiventris

• The white-bellied hedgehog, African

pygmy hedgehog or four-toed
hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) is a
species of erinaceomorphic mammal
of the family Erinaceidae. It is a small
hedgehog native to much of sub-
Saharan Africa, from Senegal and
Mauritania in the west to Sudan in the
east and south to Zambia. Populations
tend to spread between suitable
savanna habitats and crop fields,
avoiding forested areas.
Physical description
• The white-bellied hedgehog is an animal with an oval body
between 15 and 25 cm in length and a weight of between 350
and 700 grams. The females are usually larger than the males.
Its legs are short, it has a long nose and small eyes. Their color
can vary greatly, but their most typical color is brown or gray
with white or cream spines. The skin is smooth on her lower
abdomen and on her face. Their face usually has a darker, gray
or black coloration, or it is the same color as their lower part,
which is usually white.
• They differ mainly from other
species of the genus by lacking
hallux, the big toe, which is why
they have only four toes on the
hind legs, keeping all five on the
forelegs
reproduction

• The white-bellied hedgehog does not go into heat at any time of

the year, they ovulate when conditions are right and a male
hedgehog is present, which is usually during the rainy season
when food is abundant. Males approach the female and court
over her with high vocalizations. Gestation lasts approximately
35 days.
• The young are born covered to protect the mother from their
spines, which are already present from birth, although it takes
them some time to control the muscles that move them. They
usually have 3 or 4 pups in each litter, but can have up to 8. The
pups are weaned at 6 weeks and separated from the mother
shortly thereafter, reaching sexual maturity at 2 or 3 months of
age.
Atelerix algirus

• The Moorish hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) is a species of

erinaceomorphic mammal of the Erinaceidae family. It lives in
northwestern Africa, in Malta, on the southern and southwestern
coasts of France, in the Balearic Islands, in the Iberian
Peninsula and in the Canary Islands. The subspecies of the
Iberian peninsula (Catalonia, Valencian Community, Region of
Murcia and Andalusia) is classified as Atelerix algirus algirus; in
these areas it replaces the common hedgehog. The subspecies
of the Balearic Islands is A. a. vagans.
• In Europe there is also another
related species, the common
hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus),
which differs above all in some
details of the coloration, although
they are still not very precise
criteria. In areas of coexistence
between both species, Atelerix
algirus inhabits the most arid
areas, up to 400 meters above sea
level
 • It measures around 20 cm and weighs about

Description 850 g. Externally it is difficult to distinguish it

from the common hedgehog. Its size is
somewhat smaller and its coloration is lighter.
Their ears are larger and their forehead is
prominent, and there is a separation band
between the hair and the quills.
• it lives in open areas such as scrubby meadows or crops. It is a
nocturnal mammal. They consume large amounts of insects,
worms, snails and even fallen fruits of the tree, occasionally
they can capture small vertebrates. Like the other hedgehog
distributed in the Iberian Peninsula, it hibernates in those areas
of its distribution where winters are cold, such as in the Ebro
depression. The breeding season is between April and October.
Females give birth to four to five young per litter, feeding mainly
on larvae and adult insects, worms, and small vertebrates.
Atelerix frontalis

• The South African hedgehog (Atelerix

frontalis) is a species of
erinaceomorphic mammal of the family
Erinaceidae, it is a hedgehog native to
the countries of Angola, Botswana,
Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South
Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It
weighs between 260 and 600 grams
and has five toes on each leg. Their
quills are white with brown bands. The
muzzle is dark brown in color and has
a white stripe on the forehead.
Atelerix sclateri

• The Somali hedgehog (Atelerix

sclateri) is a species of
erinaceomorphic mammal of the
Erinaceidae family.1 As its name
suggests, it is an endemic hedgehog
from Somalia. It has dark brown and
black legs. It has a white and brown
belly on the abdomen. It is very similar
to the African pygmy hedgehog, from
which it differs by having five toes
instead of four on its hind legs.
Erinaceus

• Erinaceus is a genus of erinaceomorphic

mammals in the family Erinaceidae, 1 known as
short-eared hedgehogs. They usually live in
sparsely dense forests, covering themselves
between vegetal undergrowth or lands close to
man. They are nocturnal animals, feeding mainly
on insects, worms and small vertebrates..
Systematic

• The erinacines have their origin in the Oligocene, and the genus
Erinaceus in the middle of the Miocene. These species belong
to the genus: the common hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus),
the eastern dark hedgehog (E. concolor), the northern white-
breasted hedgehog (E. roumanicus) and the Manchurian
hedgehog (E. amurensis). Before they were all considered as
one
Erinaceus amurensis

• The Manchurian hedgehog (Erinaceus amurensis)

is a species of erinaceomorphic mammal of the
Erinaceidae family. It is a hedgehog similar to the
common hedgehog in appearance and lifestyle,
although it has a lighter coloration. An average
specimen measures about 30 cm and weighs
between 600 and 1000 grams. It is native to the
Amur Oblast and Primorsky Krai in Russia,
Manchuria in China and the Korean peninsula
Erinaceus concolor

• It is a hedgehog very similar in

appearance and lifestyle to the common
hedgehog, but is characterized by a
white patch on the chest. For a long time
they were considered a single spice, and
in fact they can be crossed.

• Unlike the common hedgehog, the

eastern dark hedgehog never burrows,
preferring to make grass nests in hidden
places.
Erinaceus europaeus

• The common hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) or

European hedgehog is a species of
erinaceomorphic mammal of the family
Erinaceidae, previously included within the ancient
order Insectivara.Like the rest of hedgehogs, it has
a spiky envelope made up of several thousand
rigid quills, the result of a modification of the skin.
Morfología y fisiología

• The common hedgehog is rather

stocky, with a rounded silhouette. It
weighs about 1 kg and measures 130
to 300 mm long and 120 to 150 high,
with males being slightly larger and
heavier than females. The specimens
from Great Britain weigh less than
those from the mainland. Just before
hibernation, the hedgehog weighs
about twice as much as at term. The
tail is 2 to 4 cm.
• The muzzle is mobile and ends in a point. The eyes are small.
The ears are also small and rounded, about 2 or 3 cm in length,
with a distance between them less than that of the eyes to the
nose, and they are covered with fur.The denture consists of 36
pieces: 20 upper and 16 lower. They are 6 and 4 incisors, 2 and
2 canines, 6 and 4 premolars, and 6 and 6 molars.
Erinaceus roumanicus

• The Balkan hedgehog (Erinaceus

roumanicus) is a species of
erinaceomorphic mammal in the
family Erinaceidae, long
considered to be part of the same
species as the common hedgehog.
Later it will be reclassified within
the same species as the eastern
dark hedgehog, but eventually it
was attributed its own species.
Distribution • Its distribution extends throughout
eastern Europe (including the Adriatic
islands), Ukraine, Russia, the northern
Caucasus, and western Siberia.
Mesechinus dauuricus

• The Gobi hedgehog (Mesechinus

dauuricus) is a species of
erinaceomorphic mammal of the
Erinaceidae family. It is a solitary
little hedgehog. The Red Book of
Russia has it as a protected
species with an uncertain status,
generally considered threatened,
although the IUCN lists it as
minimal risk.
• Lives in the Transbaikal region (Russia) and northern Mongolia.
It lives in burrows and inhabits forests and steppes. Adults are
15-20 cm long and weigh up to 1 kg (normally about 600 g).
Most specimens live up to 6 years in the wild. Like most
hedgehogs in temperate regions, the Gobi hedgehog hibernates
during the winter.
Mesechinus hughi

• Hugh's hedgehog (Mesechinus hughi)

is a species of erinaceomorphic
mammal in the family Erinaceidae. It is
a species of hedgehog native to
central China and Manchuria.1 It
prefers open areas, but can be found
in areas of bushes and forests.

• It is endemic to China. It is known that

on rainy days it forages for food even
during the day.
Paraechinus hypomelas

• Brandt's hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas) is a

species of erinaceomorphic mammal of the family
Erinaceidae. It is a species of desert hedgehog
native to the Middle East and Central Asia.
• Brandt's hedgehog is about the same size as the common
hedgehog (weighing 500-1000 g and length 25 cm), but has
characteristically large ears, similar to those of the long-eared
hedgehog; and it is a much faster runner due to its light barbed
protection (which is denser than that of the long-eared
hedgehog, however). Unlike the long-eared hedgehog, it is
predominantly nocturnal and prefers to defend itself by rolling
into a ball, although it can also use the "jumping" attack.
Paraechinus micropus

• The Indian hedgehog (Paraechinus

micropus) is a species of
erinaceomorphic mammal in the
family Erinaceidae. It is a species
of hedgehog native to India and
Pakistan. It is known for the "mask"
that it wears on its face, similar to
that of Boreal Raccoons. It tends to
live in plains and in mountain bush
areas near water sources.
• The Indian hedgehog is relatively small (~ 200-350 grams, ~ 15
centimeters) and quite fast, although not as fast as the long-
eared hedgehog. It also has a more varied diet, as it feeds on
frogs, toads, snakes, and scorpions. Although it is capable of
burrowing, it is highly unlikely to do so. Although the Indian
hedgehog does not hibernate it can slow down its metabolism
when food is scarce.
Paraechinus nudiventris

• The bare-bellied hedgehog

(Paraechinus nudiventris) is a species
of erinaceomorphic mammal in the
family Erinaceidae. It is a rare species
of hedgehog in the genus
Paraechinus.1 Although it was
considered extinct for a time, it was
recently rediscovered and currently
lives in India in the Kalakad-
Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, although
more research is needed.