Hedgehogs have approx 6000 spines on their backs.
Adult weight is around 1-2 KG - heaviest in autumn.
Adult males grow to approx 230mm (9") long.
Life expectancy is approx 2-3 years.
Approx half of the hedgehog population die before they are a year old.
Hedgehogs can swim, climb walls and run fast - speeds of up to 2 metres a second (4.5 mph)!
The European hedgehog was introduced in New Zealand in 1885, where it now lives in the wild.
Ancient Egyptians thought hedgehog fat would cure baldness
Hedgehogs are distant relatives of moles and shrews.
They belong to the Erinacerdae family, a family containing hairy hedgehogs as well as spiny ones.
The European hedgehog is one of 14 species of spiny hedgehog throughout the world.
Hedgehogs in the U.S.A. are only kept in captivity, being imported; the species there is Atelerix Albiventris.
Bananas are a favoured food, reputedly good for their digestive systems.
Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:13 pm