Hedgehog Facts

Senses - Smell, Sight, Hearing & Taste

Hedgehog Senses - Smell

The hedgehogs smell is their primary sense. They use it more than any other sense, and it is probably the best sense. It is by smell that a hedgehog finds his food, recognizes other hedgehogs and senses the presence of danger (a hedgehog can smell a person many yards a way if the wind is in the right direction). The hedgehog is constantly sniffing the ground as it walks, and hedgehogs can smell food under an inch of soil. Moreover, the hedgehogs sense section of its brain, is mainly taken up the smell centres, indicating its importance to the hedgehog.

Hedgehog Senses - Sight

The hedgehogs sight is quite basic. Unlike humans, the don't use it much. They can probably just make out major landmarks, such as trees, silhouetted against the sky. Their colours are just shades are brown and cream, and they have a limited field of view. Smell really is the main sense.

Hedgehog Senses - Hearing

The hedgehogs hearing also pays a large part in its senses. It uses hearing a lot to detect it's prey, and to detect danger. If a hedgehog were to hear a worm, it would most probably be rather loud.

Hedgehog Senses - Taste

Can hedgehogs taste? Yes, they certainly can, but the truth is that hedgehogs do not care what food tastes like! Hedgehogs are well known to eat insects that other insectivores will not eat.

Informative post Miss Helen .

i think detect vibrations as well??!! more than sound maybe??

I think thats a valued point to make as Hedgehogs have poor vision , i would thing their other senses would kick in . I watch a movie last night with a blind woman .. and it was all about how her senses took over .. she could sense the rain before it rained .. and sense when a car was coming as she felt the vibrations .. same with music she could hear the beat by putting her hand on speakers ..x

i notice mavs frow come down before a noise actual happens...so i thought vibrations....will have to look into that one....worms come up with vibrations!! of the rain.

well when we hear it is our eardrums detecting sound vibration, but in hedgies i suppose their feet can feel the slightest vibration underneath them too? xxx