30+ Interesting Facts About Hedgehogs

Hedgehog is a spiny mammal . But it is not related to other common spiny animals like porcupines and echidnas. There are at least 16 recognized species of hedgehogs. They are native to Asia , Africa , and Europe. Hedgehogs can climb trees up to 30 ft tall . They do so while looking for insects or other food sources. They sometimes fall from trees intentionally or accidentally. The intentional fall is either to save from predators or to reach the ground quickly. These mammals roll over their quills to survive such falls. ( Source ) Hedgehogs perform a special behavior known as self-anointing . In this process, the animal foams in the mouth and spreads this foam all over its body by licking. It is probably a self-defensive technique by either removal of its scent or by spreading toxic saliva to its body. There are several differences between hedgehogs and porcupines . Hedgehogs have smaller quills that can’t be detached easily, unlike porcupine’s quills. Compared to 5,000 quills in