West European Hedgehog

• Its spines are modified hairs of keratin, as many as 7,000 of them.
• It can curl into a tight ball in defence.
• It can reach 2 kg before hibernating.
• comportamientoFaced with a new smell or object it works up frothy saliva and spreads it over its spines, a behaviour called self-anointing whose exact purpose is still debated.
• fisiologíaIt hibernates through the winter, dropping its body temperature almost to that of the air around it and slowing its heart rate dramatically.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)

Habitat and environment

Woodland, hedgerows, gardens and parks across much of western and central Europe

Birth weight

~14.7 g at birth, blind and with no visible spines

Size at birth

~70 mm long at birth

Sexual maturity

9-12 months

Gestation / incubation

30-49 days

Litter / clutch size

4 to 6 young per litter, with up to 2 litters per year

Life expectancy in captivity

Documented record of up to 11.7 years

Sources consulted: World Species; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Mammal Society; Animal Diversity Web; Animalia.bio; AnimalSpot.net; LafeberVet; Michigan State University Brain Museum; AnAge (Erinaceus concolor comparison)

Best time: From April to October, at dusk and at night; between November and March it hibernates.