Hedgehogs are named after their pig-like habit of rooting through the undergrowth for food. They are quite noisy and can be heard snuffling and grunting during their activities.

Life span
Up to five years.

Statistics
Body length: 15-30 cm, Weight: 1.5-2 kg.

Physical description
The hedgehog is Britain.s only spiny mammal. The upper parts of the head and body are covered in short, yellow-tipped spines - adults may have up to 5000 spines. The rest of the body is covered with brown fur, and the hedgehog has a short tail.

Distribution
European hedgehogs range across Europe, including Britain, from Scandinavia to Romania. They were introduced to New Zealand.

Habitat
Their preferred habitat is forest, hedgerows, scrub and cultivated land, and they are commonly found in gardens.

Diet
Hedgehogs eat slugs, snails, beetles and earthworms. They also sometimes feed on eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds.

Behaviour
Hedgehogs are solitary, non-territorial animals and are most active at night after heavy rainfall.

In summer, hedgehogs shelter during the day in temporary nests of leaves, moss and grass. By autumn, hedgehogs have dramatically put on weight in preparation for their hibernation. Their hibernation nests are typically situated under hedgerows.

They hibernate until the following March or April, during which time their body temperature and heart beat fall dramatically, from 190 to about 20 beats per minute. Most hedgehog deaths occur during this hibernation period.

Their eyesight is poor, but their sense of smell and hearing are very good, and they can swim and climb well. Their dense covering of spines offers protection when the animal is disturbed, rolling up in a tight ball covering the head and soft underside.

Reproduction
Males and females may share a nest for a short period, during the breeding season. Females produce one or two litters a year, of about five young. These are weaned after five weeks.

Conservation status
Hedgehogs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act in Britain, and may not be trapped without a licence. They are not considered to be endangered, although numbers are in decline due to habitat loss.

Hedgehogs are often killed by manmade influences, such as in ponds, bonfires, on roads, by strimmers and lawnmowers, pesticides, garden netting and litter. They are also killed by foxes, pine martens, stoats and badgers.