๐ฆ Animal world ๐ Mammals
The hedgehog
๐ In short
The hedgehog is a sweet little animal whose back is covered in thousands of sharp spines. It sleeps by day and comes out at night to look for insects, worms and snails. There are about a dozen kinds of hedgehogs.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- A hedgehog has about 5000 to 7000 spines on its back.
- A baby hedgehog is born with soft spines hidden under its skin, so they don't hurt its mother.
- Hedgehogs can swim and climb.
- Hedgehogs live in Europe, Asia and Africa, and some desert kinds have long ears.
๐ Find out more
๐ A ball of spines
When a hedgehog senses danger, it rolls into a ball, tucking its head, legs and soft belly inside, so the enemy sees only sharp spines.
๐ Spines made of hair
A hedgehog's spines are really stiff hollow hairs. They don't fall out easily, and it doesn't throw them at enemies as some people think.
๐ก The garden's friend
Hedgehogs eat the insects, snails and grubs that damage plants, so gardeners love them to visit. A hedgehog uses its strong nose to find food in the dark.
๐ฏ Winter sleep
When the cold comes, the hedgehog makes a nest of dry leaves and sleeps in it all winter in deep hibernation, then wakes up in spring.
๐ธ More pictures
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What does a hedgehog do when it's scared?
2 When does a hedgehog look for food?
3 Which picture shows โThe hedgehogโ?
