Hedgehogs | Erinaceidae

Egels | Erizos

The spines are modified hairs: each is stiffened inside by lengthwise ridges and sits in the skin on a thin flexible neck, so that a blow is absorbed rather than passed on. Beneath the spiny skin, a ring of muscle runs round the whole outline of the body and is drawn tight like a purse string; head, legs and the soft haired belly disappear under the closed spiny mantle. The snout is long and mobile, and the animal relies on smell and hearing. The cheekteeth carry broad blunt cusps that crush beetles, worms and snails. Faced with a strong smell they work up a frothy saliva and spread it over the spines with the tongue. The northern species hibernate in earnest on autumn fat; the desert species do not, but have very large ears and long legs that hold the body clear of the hot sand.