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- The
Topic:
- Hedgehog
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- Easier - A hedgehog
is a small animal covered with a thick coat of sharp
spines. The hedgehog sleeps in small burrows or nest
of grass and tangled leaves under shrubs, rocks, or
hollow logs during the day and comes out at night to
eat insects.
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- Harder - Hedgehog
mammals grow to 6” to 15”. The average adult
hedgehog has about 5,000 spines, modified hair that
are 2-3 cm. (1”) long. Hedgehogs have poor
eyesight, acute hearing, short legs, a long pointed
snout, and 36-44 teeth. Their color ranges from white
to dark brown. There are fourteen species in four
genera found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Hedgehogs
were also introduced in New Zealand. Their habitat is
wooded or cultivated land, including gardens, where
they enjoy a close relationship with man, tropical
rain forests, steppe, and desert. Desert and
long-eared species have powerful legs and strong claws
for digging burrows in dry areas. Other hedgehog
differences are size, color, and the length of ears
and toes. All species, with the exception of the
Four-Toed, have five toes on each foot.
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- These mammals are nocturnal, sleeping during the
day and eating at night. Desert and temperate
hedgehogs can have dormant periods of hibernation when
their body temperature drops to near the same
temperature as their surroundings. They sometimes
hibernate when there is no food. Northern African
hedgehogs hibernate from October to late April.
Tropical hedgehogs do not hibernate in their normal
environment, but will if there is a lack of food.
Occasionally a hedgehog will produce foamy saliva when
stimulated by strong smells or tastes and smear it all
over their body. This act, called self-anointing, is
little understood. Some species can swim and climb,
but mostly they stay on the ground.
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- Hedgehogs provide a valuable insect pest control
service. They are insectivores, eating earthworms,
beetles, earwigs, slugs, millipedes, and caterpillars.
Some species will eat bird’s eggs, mice, frogs,
and other small rodents. They also have been known to
eat seeds, berries, grasses and leaves, and fallen
fruit. Stories in Russia and China tell of hedgehogs
impaling fruit on their spines.
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- If threatened, the hedgehog freezes and rolls into
a ball with its spines sticking out for defense. When
erected, the spines stick out at different angles to
create an impassable barrier. Strong muscles curl the
skin tightly over their body. European species appear
to be immune to toxins, since they are able to eat
bees and wasps. They can eat some venomous snakes, but
cannot withstand a direct bite from them. They are
vulnerable in India and China due to loss of
habitat.
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- Different hedgehog species breed at different
times of the year, but most mate in the spring, and
produce 4-6 offspring. Also the gestation period
varies between 30-45 days. The young are born naked
with ears and eyes closed. Spines are present at
birth, but lie just under the skin and sprout in 36
hours. Their eyes open after fourteen days, their
teeth at 21 days, and weaning occurs at 6-7 weeks. The
hedgehog is a known carrier of fleas. Adults are
solitary. They make snuffling noises when courting.
They communicate and find food best through their
well-developed sense of smell. Hedgehogs in the wild
live from 3 to eight years; in captivity they may live
up to 10 years.
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 - Hedgehog
from Jan Brett
- http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/hedgehog_project_main.htm
- This great hedgehog site contains information and
activities for students, photos and pictures,
resources and ideas for teachers and their classroom,
and lots, lots more.
- Not-To-Be Missed Sections:
- 2) Hedgehog from Jan Brett http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/history1a.htm
- 3) Hedgetta's New Hoglets at Jan Brett
http://www.janbrett.com/piggybacks/hoglet1.htm
- Related Website:
- 4) Hedgehog Project at Elementary West
School, Loogootee, IN http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/hedge/index.html
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- Hedgehog
Central by B.H. Smith
- http://hedgehogcentral.com/about/world.html
- The site lists 14 species, some with pictures,
provides general information, describes their colors,
hibernation information, myths and behavior, and lots
more.
- Related Websites:
- 2) About Hedgehogs http://www.abouthedgehogs.com/
- 3) Hedgehogs http://www.lboro.org/~wwatch/Info%20pages/hedgehog.htm
- 4) Hedgehogs from The Garden Safari
http://www.gardensafari.net/english/75java.htm?/english/hedgehogs.htm
- 5) Hedgehogs http://hem.passagen.se/hedgehogs/hedgehogs.html
- 6) Hedgehog Homepage by S. Conrad http://www.steveconrad.co.uk/hog/index.html
- 7) Hedghogz Home Page http://www.hedghogz.co.uk/home.html
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- Hedgehogs
from BBC
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/reallywild/ukwild/hedgehog_facts.shtml
- This is a great site for introductory information
about hedgehogs.
- Related Websites:
- 2) Hedgehog from African Wildlife
Foundation http://www.awf.org/wildlives/125
- 3) Hedgehog from BBC's Nature Really Gone
Wild http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/reallywild/amazing/hedgehog.shtml
- 4) Hedgehog from Enchanted Learning
- http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/hedgehog/Hedgehogprintout.shtml
- 5) Hedgehog from Sea World/ Busch Gardens'
Animal Bytes http://www.seaworld.org/animalbytes/hedgehogab.html
- 6) Hedgehog Facts from Wild Kids http://www.wildkids.org.uk/woodland/mammals6.htm
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- Hedgehogs
from National Geographic
- http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/creature_feature/0202/hedgehogs.html
- Read some interesting facts, watch a video, listen
to their sounds, view the distribution map, and send
an e-Card - - all about hedgehogs.
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 - Websites By Kids For Kids
- About
Hedgehogs
- http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Dell/8662/hedgeabout.html
- Students in New Zealand write about
hedgehogs.
- Related Webpages:
- 2) Chloe's Hedgehog http://www.geocities.com/kiwikidz.geo/chlohedg.html
- 3) Hedgehogs http://www.geocities.com/kiwikidz.geo/hedgetwo.html
- 4) Hedgehogs http://www.geocities.com/kiwikidz.geo/hedgliam.html
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- Hedge
Hog by E. Tezcan, Andrew High School,
Tinley Park, IL
- http://www.d230.org/vja/info/tkearney/student38/
- This site provides general, introductory
information about hedgehogs.
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- More Websites
- Arabia's
Hedgehogs by P. Bates
- http://www.arabianwildlife.com/archive/vol2.1/hedge.htm
- Learn about the three species of hedgehog found in
Arabia.
- Related Websites:
- 2) Hedgehogs from UAE Interact Online
http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/mammal/mam15.html
- 3) Hedgehogs from Breeding Centre for
Endangered Arabian Wildlife http://www.breedingcentresharjah.com/Small%20Mammals.html#anchor16886
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- Hedgehog
Hollow
- http://hedgehoghollow.com/
- Though this site is no longer being updated, its
content is the USENET Hedgehog FAQ (Frequently Asked
Questions). FAQ 7 parts inform on pet care, rare
types, and the hedgehog in the wild.
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- How
to Say Hedgehog in over 40 Languages
- http://tiggywinkle.8m.com/lang.html
- Forty . . . if you count Lapine, the language the
rabbits speak in the book Watership Down by
Richard Adams.
- Related Website:
- 2) About the Hedgehog http://www.ling.rochester.edu/people/cross/hedgehog.html
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- International
Hedgehog Association (IHA)
- http://hedgehogclub.com/
- This organization was established with the purpose
of educating the public in the care and betterment of
hedgehogs and to facilitate the rescue, welfare,
promotion and care of hedgehogs everywhere.
- Other Hedgehog Care Sites:
- 2) Hedges.com from Carolina Hedgehog
Society http://www.hedgies.com/
- 3) Hedgehog Valley by A. Means-Burleson http://hedgehogvalley.com/
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- Look
Sharp (Page 1 of 2) from BBC
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/features/135index.shtml
- People empathize with these trusting, bumbling
animals (hedgehogs) as they shuffle about our modern
world, beset by man-made dangers. But can they survive
today's threats to their world?
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- Spike's
Den
- http://www.perky.co.uk/main.html
- This interactive site contains lots of good
information about hedgehogs including facts, games,
quiz, diet, hibernation, medical information, and
more.
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- Welsh Hedgehog
Hospital
- http://www.whh.org/
- Here you can find information on pet care,
diseases and treatments, hedgehog houses, how to
create a hedgehog friendly garden, and a quiz plus
photos and more.
- Related Websites:
- 2) Care Rehabilitation and Aid for Sick Hedgehogs
(CRASH) http://www.hedgehogs.org.uk/
- 3) Emergency Information: Hedgehogs from St.
Tiggywinkles
- http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/Emergencies/Hedgehogs/body_hedgehogs.htm
- 4) Some Important Advice about Helping Sick or
Injured European Hedgehogs
- http://www.ngo.grida.no/ngo/hedgehog/hoghelp.htm
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- What
Happens Inside the Hedgehog During
Hibernation? by S. Grethe
- http://www.biol.lu.se/zoofysiol/Djurartiklar/Igel.html
- This brief article discusses what happens when the
outdoor temperature drops and winter commences?
- Other Websites on Hedgehog
Hibernation:
- 2) Hedgehog Hibernation Fact Sheet from St.
Tiggywinkles
- http://www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk/Discover_St_Tiggywinkles/Fact_Sheets/Hedgehog
. . .
- 3) Time to Sleep: Hedgehogs from BBC's The
Really Wild Zone
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/reallywild/features/tts_hedgehog.shtml
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- Specific Types of Hedgehogs
- Hedghogs
Around the World
- http://www.angelfire.com/in3/cb1820/hedgies.htm
- Here you find photos and a brief description of
some of the different varieties of hedgehogs.
- Related Sites:
- 2) Guide to Hedgehog Species Around the World
- http://www.hedgies.com/hedgehog_species.htm
- 3) Species Location from Hedghogz Home Page
http://www.hedghogz.co.uk/hedgehogs/species.html
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- African Pygmy Hedgehog (aka Eastern African
hedgehog): (1) Atelerix
albiventris: African Pygmy
- Hedgehog
from University of Michigan's Animal Diversity
Web, (2) Introduction
to the African Pygmy Hedgehog by H.L. Hoefer, (3)
African
Pygmy (Four-toed) Hedgehog, (4) African
Pygmy Hedgehog (Erinaceus albiventris) from
Animal Ambassadors, (5) African
White-bellied Hedgehog from Jan Brett, (6)
East
African Hedgehog (Four-toed) from Oakland
Zoo, (7) African
Pygmy Hedgehog from Woodland Park Zoo
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- Cyprus Hedgehog: (1) Cyprus
Hedgehog from North Cyprus Home Page, (2)
Cyprus
Hedgehog
- from Wildlife in Northern Cyprus
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- Common Hedgehog (aka Western European
hedgehog or European hedgehog): (1) Hedgehog:
- Erinaceus
europaeus from The Mammal Society, (2)
Erinaceus
europaeus: Hedgehog from University of
Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, (3) Hedgehogs
(Erinaceus Europaeus), (4) Hedgehog
from Young Peoples Trust for the Environment,
(5) Western
European hedgehog from America Zoo, (6)
European
Hedgehog from Jan Brett, (7) Erinaceus
europaeus: European Hedgehog from Boreal
Forests, (8) European
Hedgehog from Cyberzoo, (9) European
Hedgehog: Erinaceus europaeus from BBC Nature
Wildfacts, (10) Hedgehogs
from UK Safari
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- Desert Hedgehog (aka Ethiopian
hedgehog): (1) Desert
or Ethiopian Hedgehog from University of
- Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, (2)
Desert
Hedgehog from Jan Brett, (3) Desert
Hedgehog from Living Desert Zoo and
Gardenson, (4) Desert
Hedgehog from PBS's Sahara Wildlife
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- Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec (aka Small
Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec): (1) Echinops
telfairi: Lesser
- Hedgehog
Tenrec, Small Madagascar Hedgehog Tenrec from
University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web,
(2) Small
Madagascar Hedgehog-Tenrec from Smithsonian
Institution, (3) Lesser
Hedgehog Tenrec from America Zoo
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- Long-eared Hedgehog: (1) Hemiechinus
auritus: Long-Eared Desert Hedgehog from
University of
- Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, (2)
Long-eared
Hedgehog from Jan Brett,
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- Madagascar Hedgehog: (1) Setifer
setosus: Madagascar Hedgehog from University of
Michigan's
- Animal Diversity Web
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- Websites For Teachers
- Hedgehogs,
Books, and Fun by P. Hale and J. Bruner at
ED's Oasis
- http://www.classroom.com/edsoasis/TGuild/Lessons/Hedgehog.html
- Teachers and students will navigate the site to
increase their knowledge about hedgehogs. This can be
done by reading all the information about hedgehogs,
do the wordsearch and crossword puzzle. The book
The Hat written and illustrated by Jan Brett is
used. There is a 5 day lesson plan that includes a
variety of activities to go with this book. There are
also additional books and activities that are being
submitted by the classrooms participating in the
Travel Buddy and Book Exchange Projects. Pictures and
journal entries are also available for classrooms to
follow as Snuggles and Prickles travel the world.
- Related Website:
- 2) Hedgehog by J. Bruner at Loogootee
Elementary West, IN http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/hedge/
- 3) Hedgehog Travel Buddy Project by J. Bruner at
Loogootee Elementary West, IN http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/proj/hedge/hatbook.htm
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- Hedgehogs
in the Classroom from Hedgehog
Valley
- http://hedgehogvalley.com/classroom.html
- Learn the pros and cons of keeping a hedgehog in
the classroom.
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- Created by
Eleanor
Wallace, 4/03.
Adapted by Annette
Lamb and
Larry
Johnson,
4/03.
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