Stats

Lifespan

2-7 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Insectivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate woodland

Range

Europe

Movement

Walking

Breeding

Live Birth

Defense

Spines

Status

Near Threatened

About

A small, nocturnal insectivore wrapped in roughly 5,000 keratin spines that it raises into a near-impenetrable ball when alarmed. It self-anoints by frothing saliva over its quills after tasting unfamiliar substances, a behaviour whose purpose still puzzles researchers.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   newborn

   A live-born newborn nurses on its mother's milk and depends on her for warmth and protection.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A weaned juvenile begins eating solid food and learning from its parents or group.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult size.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Eulipotyphla

Family

Erinaceidae

Genus

Erinaceus

Species

Erinaceus europaeus