European hedgehog

The gardener’s best friend, as they will eat up insect pests crawling in the vegetable beds

Michael Gäbler

The European hedgehog is brown and covered with up to 6000 spines except for its underside. The spines are hollow, and each spine is 2 to 3cm (0.8 to 1.2 inches) long, which can be used as a defense when they roll into a tight ball. Their tail is very short and almost vestigial.

Generally, they are widely distributed and can be spotted in parks and gardens. They eat a wide variety of invertebrates, bird eggs, and amphibians. They love to feed on beetles, ants, bees, wasps, earwigs, moths, and butterflies. During the winter, they hibernate in their nest made of leaves that are usually under sheds or log piles.

Distribution

Country
Population est.
Status
Year
Comments
Austria
2016
Belgium
2016
Croatia
2016
Czechia
2016
Denmark
2016
Estonia
2016
Finland
2016
France
2016
Germany
2016
Ireland
2016
Italy
2016
Latvia
2016
Luxembourg
2016
Netherlands
2016
Norway
2016
Poland
2016
Portugal
2016
Russia
2016
Slovenia
2016
Spain
2016
Sweden
2016
Switzerland
2016
United Kingdom
2016

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Terrestrial / Aquatic

Altricial / Precocial

Polygamous / Monogamous

Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd

Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

Migratory: Yes / No

Domesticated: Yes / No

Dangerous: Yes / No