Animal
European hedgehog
The European hedgehog is a small animal covered in spines. When it is scared, it rolls into a prickly ball. It comes out at night to look for worms and beetles.
European hedgehogs are spiny mammals of woods, farmland, parks and gardens in western and northern Europe. They snuffle around at night for bugs and worms, roll into a ball to protect themselves and hibernate through the winter. Their numbers are falling in many countries.
Erinaceus europaeus, the Western European hedgehog, is a nocturnal, solitary insectivore whose roughly 6,000 spines make rolling up its main defense. Once considered common, it has declined in more than half of its range countries through agricultural intensification, road traffic and habitat loss, and the IUCN now lists it as Near Threatened (assessed 2023).
Photo: Michael Gäbler, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the hedgehog
The hedgehog is a small animal with spines on its back.
It has a pointy nose, small black eyes and little round ears. Its tummy has soft, brown fur. Our photo shows a young hedgehog.
The European hedgehog is a small mammal, 22 to 28 centimeters long, that weighs 450 to 1,500 grams. Its back is covered with about 6,000 spines. Each spine is hollow and creamy white, brown at the base, with a dark band just below its white tip.
Its face and belly have coarse gray-brown fur. It has small ears, a short tail and surprisingly long legs, hidden under a skirt of long hair. Hedgehogs look slow, but they can move up to 40 meters a minute.
Erinaceus europaeus measures 22 to 28 centimeters and weighs 450 to 1,500 grams as an adult, according to PTES. The back carries around 6,000 closely packed, hollow spines, creamy white with a brown base, a pure white tip and a chocolate-brown band just behind the point; the underside has coarse gray-brown fur. The tail is short and the ears small, and relatively long legs are normally hidden under a fringe of long hairs.
The IUCN calls it the Western European hedgehog; to the east its range meets that of a close relative, Erinaceus roumanicus, and the boundary between them is not well mapped. The hero photo shows a young hedgehog among leaves and violets; the place is not stated.
Quick facts
- Group
- Mammal
- Length
- 0.22 to 0.28 m
- Weight
- 0.45 to 1.5 kg
- Lifespan in the wild
- 2 to 5 years
Woods, hedges and gardens
Hedgehogs live in Europe.
They live in woods, fields, parks and gardens. They make cozy nests of leaves and grass under hedges and log piles.
European hedgehogs live in western and northern Europe, from Britain, Ireland, Spain and Portugal east to Poland and north through Scandinavia into northern Russia. People also took them to New Zealand in the 1800s.
They live in woodland, farmland, orchards, parks and gardens, and today many are easier to find in towns than in the countryside. They build nests of leaves and grass under hedges, bushes and log piles, or even under garden sheds and decking.
The IUCN's 2023 assessment describes a range from the British Isles and Iberia east to Poland and north through Scandinavia into northern Russia and the Moscow region, absent from southeast Europe and southern Russia. It occurs on Corsica, Elba, Sardinia and Sicily, in Italy, and in Slovenia only around Nova Gorica; presence in Croatia and Hungary is uncertain, and the species may have nearly disappeared from Latvia. It lives mostly below 600 meters, up to 1,500 to 2,000 meters in the Alps. People introduced it to the Azores, the Outer Hebrides and, from the 19th century, New Zealand.
Habitats include woodland, farmland, orchards, parks and gardens, and in many regions it is now seen more in urban than rural areas. PTES notes it avoids large conifer plantations, marshes and moorland.
Continent
Its habitats
Where can you find this animal?
- Brought here by people · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
- Lives here naturally · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
- Sightings recorded · Records of wild sightings (GBIF)
Brought here by people · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
Introduced by people to New Zealand from the 19th century. The IUCN also lists introductions to the Azores (Portugal) and the Outer Hebrides (United Kingdom), inside countries already shaded as native.
Places: New Zealand.
Source: iucn-red-list · checked October 2026
Lives here naturally · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
Woodland, farmland, parks and gardens of western and northern Europe, from Britain, Ireland and Iberia to Poland, Scandinavia and European Russia. Absent from southeast Europe; presence in Croatia and Hungary is uncertain and not shown.
Places: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany and 15 more places.
Source: iucn-red-list · checked October 2026
Sightings recorded · Records of wild sightings (GBIF)
Counts of GBIF records of wild observations (human and machine) and preserved specimens. Records include introduced populations, vagrants, escaped or released animals and misidentifications, so a country with records is not necessarily part of the native range.
Wild sightings have been recorded in UK, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Denmark and 46 more places.
Source: gbif · checked October 2026
Range maps show where scientists say an animal lives, often country by country. An animal may live in only part of a country shown, and sightings records can include animals that wandered far from home.
Night-time bug hunter
Hedgehogs eat worms, beetles, slugs and caterpillars.
They find their food by sniffing along the ground at night.
Hedgehogs mostly eat small animals that live on the ground: earthworms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs. They also eat birds' eggs and dead animals they find, and sometimes plants.
They find food with their keen sense of smell, snuffling through leaves and grass. In gardens, hedgehogs will readily eat meaty cat or dog food that people leave out for them.
The IUCN describes a diet mainly of invertebrates, plus eggs, carrion and sometimes plant material. PTES lists ground-dwelling invertebrates, especially earthworms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs, as well as birds' eggs and carrion, and notes that hedgehogs readily take meaty cat or dog food provided by people.
Foraging relies on a keen sense of smell. Hedgehogs are mobile and wide-ranging, traveling 1 to 2 kilometers a night and tending to follow linear features such as hedges and edges; urban home ranges can take in many different gardens. The IUCN notes they may also be poisoned by rodenticides and other pesticides, directly or by eating poisoned prey.
A coat of spines
A hedgehog's spines keep it safe.
When it is scared, it rolls into a tight ball. Then only its spines show, and most animals leave it alone.
A hedgehog's best defense is its coat of about 6,000 spines. When danger comes near, it rolls up into a tight ball and raises its spines, which protects it from most natural enemies.
Hedgehogs rely on their keen sense of smell to find food and to warn them of danger. Sometimes a hedgehog makes lots of frothy spit and spreads it over its spines. This is called self-anointing, and scientists still do not know why hedgehogs do it.
By rolling into a tight ball and erecting its roughly 6,000 hollow spines, a hedgehog protects itself from most natural predators (PTES). Smell is its key sense, used both to find food and to detect danger.
PTES describes self-anointing, in which a hedgehog produces large amounts of frothy saliva and spreads it over its spines; its purpose is still unknown. In winter, hedgehogs hibernate to save energy when food is scarce. The IUCN notes that the timing of hibernation depends on climate, sex, body size and physical condition, and that climate change could affect it, though this has not been studied.
Hoglets
Baby hedgehogs are called hoglets.
They are born in a nest of leaves. At first their eyes are closed and they have no spines showing. Soon little white spines appear.
Hedgehogs breed between April and September. A mother usually has three to six babies, called hoglets, in a nest of leaves and grass, most often between May and August.
Hoglets are born blind and without spines showing. Soft white spines appear soon after birth and are replaced by darker ones within a few weeks. The hoglets stop drinking milk at four to five weeks and soon go off on their own. A mother may try for two litters a year, but she rarely raises more than one.
The breeding season runs from April to September, peaking in May and June (PTES); courtship involves lots of snorting. The IUCN gives typical litters of three to six, and PTES says up to seven young are usually born between May and August in a nest of leaves and grass.
The young are born blind and spineless; pure white spines emerge soon after birth and are replaced within a few weeks by darker spines growing through. Weaning comes at about four to five weeks, with independence soon after. Females occasionally produce two litters in a year but rarely rear more than one successfully. The average lifespan is about two years, and a small percentage reach five (PTES).
Nights out, winters in
Hedgehogs sleep in the day and come out at night.
Each hedgehog lives on its own. In winter, when there is little food, it sleeps in its nest for months. This is called hibernation.
Hedgehogs are solitary and active at night, or after heavy rain. They do not defend territories, and each one may wander 1 to 2 kilometers a night looking for food, often following hedges and the edges of fields.
From about November to March or April, when food is scarce, hedgehogs hibernate. They stay in a winter nest and are mostly inactive, which saves energy. From spring to autumn they are active again, and they may breed at any time in those months.
Hedgehogs are solitary, non-territorial and nocturnal, also emerging after heavy rainfall (PTES). They are mobile and wide-ranging, covering 1 to 2 kilometers in a night, and foraging routes often follow linear features.
They hibernate through winter: PTES gives November to the end of March and the IUCN typically November to April, with exact timing depending on climate, sex, body size and condition. Between spring and autumn they are active and may breed at any point. Nests of leaf litter, grass and other materials are built in sheltered spots under hedgerows, scrub, log piles, sheds or decking. In some areas, declines have been linked to rising numbers of European badgers, possibly through predation or competition for food (IUCN).
Did you know?
Sometimes hedgehogs cover their spines with bubbly spit.
Some hedgehogs make frothy spit and spread it over their spines. Nobody knows why yet!
The purpose of self-anointing, spreading frothy saliva over the spines, is still unknown (PTES).
Helping hedgehogs
There are fewer hedgehogs than there used to be.
Roads, fewer hedges and bug sprays make life hard for them. People help by making their gardens safe for hedgehogs.
The IUCN lists the European hedgehog as Near Threatened, because its numbers have fallen in more than half of the countries where it lives. In Britain, about a third of hedgehogs have been lost since the year 2000.
Farms with bigger fields and fewer hedges, chemicals that kill bugs, new roads and buildings, and traffic all harm hedgehogs. People are helping by making gardens hedgehog-friendly, for example through the Hedgehog Street project in Britain.
The IUCN assessed Erinaceus europaeus as Near Threatened globally and for Europe (assessed February 2023, published 2024), with a decreasing population. Declines scaled to ten years range from 16 percent in the Netherlands to 33 percent in Sweden nationally, and up to 51 percent in local studies, approaching or exceeding the 30 percent threshold for listing as threatened in parts of the range. National red lists rank it Vulnerable in Great Britain and Endangered in the Netherlands.
Threats include agricultural intensification (hedgerow removal, pesticides, larger fields), urban growth and fragmentation, rodenticides, injury and disturbance by people and pets, and road traffic: an estimated 167,000 to 335,000 hedgehogs are killed on British roads each year (Wembridge et al. 2016, cited by IUCN). PTES reports a loss of about a third of the British population since 2000 and runs Hedgehog Street to make gardens hedgehog-friendly.
IUCN Red List
How is the european hedgehog doing in the wild?
- Least Concern
- Near Threatened (this animal)
- Vulnerable
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
- Extinct
Near Threatened
Not at risk yet, but it could be soon.
Amazing facts
-
A hedgehog has about 6,000 spines.
A hedgehog's back is covered with about 6,000 hollow spines.
PTES puts the number of closely packed, hollow spines at around 6,000.
-
Hedgehogs can walk quite fast.
Hedgehogs look slow, but they can move up to 40 meters a minute.
Hedgehogs have relatively long legs, hidden beneath a skirt of hair, and can move at up to 40 meters a minute (PTES).
-
Sometimes hedgehogs cover their spines with bubbly spit.
Some hedgehogs make frothy spit and spread it over their spines. Nobody knows why yet!
The purpose of self-anointing, spreading frothy saliva over the spines, is still unknown (PTES).
-
A hedgehog can walk a long way in one night.
A hedgehog may travel 1 to 2 kilometers in a single night looking for food.
Hedgehogs travel 1 to 2 kilometers a night, and urban home ranges take in many different gardens (PTES).
Words to know
- hoglet
- a baby hedgehog
- hibernate
- to rest through the winter in a deep sleep that saves energy
- nocturnal
- active mostly at night
- invertebrate
- an animal without a backbone, such as a worm, beetle or slug
- near threatened
- close to being at risk of disappearing from the wild
Discovery challenge
-
What does a hedgehog do when it is scared?
How does a hedgehog protect itself from danger?
What is the European hedgehog's main defense against predators?
- It climbs a tall tree
- It rolls into a spiky ball
- It jumps into water
Show the answer
It rolls into a spiky ball
It rolls into a ball, so only its spines show.
It rolls into a tight ball and raises its spines, which protects it from most natural enemies.
Rolling into a tight ball with about 6,000 spines erected.
-
What do hedgehogs like to eat?
What do European hedgehogs mostly eat?
What makes up most of the European hedgehog's diet?
- Grass and leaves
- Fish
- Worms, beetles and slugs
Show the answer
Worms, beetles and slugs
They love worms, beetles and slugs.
Ground-dwelling invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles, slugs and caterpillars, plus some eggs and carrion.
Invertebrates, with eggs, carrion and occasional plant material (IUCN).
-
What do hedgehogs do in winter?
What do hedgehogs do in winter, when food is scarce?
How do European hedgehogs survive the winter food shortage?
- They hibernate in a nest
- They fly to warm places
- They swim in the sea
Show the answer
They hibernate in a nest
They sleep for a long time in a cozy nest.
They hibernate in a nest from about November to March or April.
They hibernate, staying largely inactive to conserve energy; timing depends on climate, sex, size and condition.
-
About how many spines does a hedgehog have?
About how many spines cover a hedgehog's back?
Approximately how many spines does an adult European hedgehog carry?
- About 60
- About 6,000
- About 6 million
Show the answer
About 6,000
About 6,000. That is a lot of spines!
About 6,000 hollow spines.
Around 6,000 closely packed, hollow spines (PTES).
Places where you might see it
-
Watch
Country
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, or UK, lies on islands off the northwest coast of Europe. It is made up of four parts, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and about 69.5 million people live there. Its capital is London.
-
Watch
Country
Germany
Germany is a country in north-central Europe. The land rises from flat plains by the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to forested hills and, in the far south, the Alps. About 83.5 million people (2025) live there, and its capital is Berlin.
-
Watch
Country
San Marino
San Marino is a very small country on the slopes of Mount Titano, completely surrounded by Italy. It is one of the oldest republics in the world, and its capital, with walls and fortress towers, sits high on the mountain. About 34,000 people live there.
Explore next
-
Watch
Country
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, or UK, lies on islands off the northwest coast of Europe. It is made up of four parts, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and about 69.5 million people live there. Its capital is London.
-
Watch
Country
Germany
Germany is a country in north-central Europe. The land rises from flat plains by the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to forested hills and, in the far south, the Alps. About 83.5 million people (2025) live there, and its capital is Berlin.
-
Watch
Animal
Common toad
The common toad is a warty brown amphibian that lives across Europe and into Asia. It spends most of the year on land, hunting slugs, worms and insects at night, then travels back to the pond where it hatched to lay long strings of eggs each spring.
-
Watch
Country
San Marino
San Marino is a very small country on the slopes of Mount Titano, completely surrounded by Italy. It is one of the oldest republics in the world, and its capital, with walls and fortress towers, sits high on the mountain. About 34,000 people live there.
-
Watch
Animal
Aardvark
The aardvark is a shy night digger of African savannas. It sniffs out ant and termite nests, rips them open with its spade-like claws and laps up the insects with a sticky tongue about 30 centimeters long. Its name means 'earth pig' in Afrikaans.
-
Watch
Animal
African buffalo
The African buffalo is a huge, cow-like grazer with heavy, curving horns. It lives in herds that can number in the thousands, and a herd will rush to protect a calf in danger. It lives across much of Africa south of the Sahara, from open savannas to rainforests.
-
Watch
Animal
African forest elephant
The African forest elephant is a separate species from the bigger bush elephant. It lives in the rainforests of central and western Africa, eats lots of fruit and spreads the seeds of forest trees in its dung. It is Critically Endangered.
-
Watch
3D
Animal
African wild dog
The African wild dog, or painted dog, has a patchy coat unlike any other dog's, big round ears and only four toes on its front feet. It lives in close packs that hunt together, share food and care for the pups. It is endangered: the IUCN estimated in 2025 that only about 1,676 adults are left in the wild.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Describe how a hedgehog's spines and sense of smell help it survive.
- Explain what hedgehogs eat and how they find food at night.
- Describe the hedgehog's year: breeding, raising hoglets and hibernating.
- Explain why hedgehogs are declining and how people can help.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might rolling into a ball work against a fox but not against a car?
- Why might hedgehogs now be easier to find in towns than in the countryside?
- What could your family, school or street do to help hedgehogs?
Try at home or in class
- Measure out 40 meters in a park and time how long it takes you to walk it slowly: a hedgehog can cover it in about a minute.
- Look under a log or stone in a garden (and put it back gently) to see the kinds of small animals a hedgehog eats.
Key vocabulary: hoglet, hibernate, nocturnal, invertebrate, near threatened
Where these facts come from
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN terms of use (no redistribution of Red List data or range maps))
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and GBIF Occurrence Search , Global Biodiversity Information Facility (CC0 1.0 (backbone); occurrence counts are facts derived from records under CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC)
- Erinaceus europaeus (global and European assessment, 2024) , IUCN Red List
- Hedgehog , People's Trust for Endangered Species
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file: Public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA only (credited on each page))
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 28, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.