Hedgehogs belong to the Erinaceinae subfamily of the Erinaceidae eulipotyplan family. Hedgehogs are divided into five genera and may be found in areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as New Zealand, where they were introduced. Hedgehogs are not endemic to Australia, and there are no surviving species native to the Americas (the extinct genus Amphechinus was once present in North America).

Hedgehogs and shrews (family Soricidae) share a distant ancestor, with gymnures perhaps serving as an intermediary link, and they haven’t altered much in the previous 15 million years. They, like many other early mammals, have evolved to a nocturnal lifestyle. Their spiky defense is similar to that of rodents such as porcupines and monotremes such as echidnas.

The spines of hedgehogs, which are hollow hairs stiffened with keratin, are clearly identifiable. Their spines aren’t venomous or barbed, and they don’t simply separate from their bodies like porcupine quills do. The spines of young animals, on the other hand, usually fall out when adult spines take their place. This is known as “quilling.” When an animal is sick or under a lot of stress, its spines might fall out. Hedgehogs are typically brown in color with light spine tips. However, blonde hedgehogs can be seen on the British island of Alderney.

In self-defense, all hedgehog species can curl up into a tight ball, forcing all of their spines to point outwards. Two big muscles on the hedgehog’s back regulate the position of the quills. The creature’s back quills protect the tucked face, feet, and belly, which aren’t quilled while it’s rolled into a ball. Because the efficiency of this technique is determined by the number of spines, desert hedgehogs that evolved to carry less weight are more likely to run or attack, slamming an intruder with their spines; rolling into a spiny ball is the last resort for such species. While forest hedgehogs are prey to birds (particularly owls) and ferrets, smaller species such as the long-eared hedgehog are prey to foxes, wolves, and mongooses.

Hedgehogs are mostly nocturnal; however, certain species can be seen during the day. Hedgehogs sleep for a considerable amount of the day beneath bushes, grasses, boulders, or most often in dens built in the ground, with different sleeping patterns according to the species. Hedgehogs in the wild may hibernate, however not all do, depending on temperature, species, and food availability.

Hedgehogs may communicate using a variety of grunts, snuffles, and/or squeals, depending on the species.

Anointing is a ceremony that hedgehogs conduct once in a while. When the animal detects a new smell, it will lick and bite the source, then create a scented froth in its mouth, which it will subsequently apply to its spines using its tongue. The function of this behavior is uncertain, although some experts believe it gives a possible toxin or source of infection to predators pricked by their spines by anointing the hedgehog with the fresh fragrance of the region. Because of a comparable action in birds, anointing is also known as anting.

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