The Hedgehog Quiz

There are 15 different hedgehog species native to Europe, Asia and Africa.

Hedgehogs prefer to chow down on insects, worms, snails and some larger creatures, like frogs and snakes.

The hedgehog may not see all that well, but it makes up for that with its excellent hearing and sense of smell.

A typical hedgehog measures 5-12 inches (13-30 centimeters), with a tail ranging from 1-2 inches.

The average hedgehog weighs 14-39 ounces, or just shy of 1 pound to slightly less than 3 pounds.

Hedgehogs prefer to live alone and only come together to mate.

A litter of baby hedgehogs can range in size from one to 11. The babies only stay with mom for four to seven weeks before moving out on their own.

Hedgehog dads commonly prey on their young, and even a mother hedgehog may eat her young if her nest is disturbed.

The back of a hedgehog is covered in quills, which are made of keratin, the same stuff your hair and nails are made from.

Hedgehogs and porcupines are not related, and the hedgehog actually has more in common with the shrew or the mole.

Hedgehogs rarely make their home in trees, preferring ground-level nests or underground burrows.

The average hedgehog has between 3,000 and 5,000 quills, which serve as an armor of sorts to protect the tiny creature from predators.

Sorry Sonic fans — the hedgehog can’t roll around when it's tightly coiled into a ball.

It may sound cool, but the hedgehog can't shoot his quills. It is possible for the quills to fall out or break off at times but not on command.

Hedgehogs are nocturnal by nature, which means they sleep during the day and play at night.

A group of hedgehogs is called an array, but such groups are rare because of the creature's solitary nature.

Hedgehog legality varies by state, but as of 2016, they are prohibited as pets in Hawaii, California and New York City.

The hedgehog is not native to the U.S. and unlikely to survive in the wild if released in the country.

German settlers in Pennsylvania wanted to see if the hedgehog could see its shadow. When they realized that there were no hedgehogs in the U.S., they used a groundhog instead.

Over half of all hedgehogs die within a year. Truly lucky critters may live as long as a decade.

Contrary to rumor, the hedgehog quill is neither barbed nor poisonous.

Baby hedgehogs are smooth with quills hidden below their skin. The quills start to protrude from the skin around 24 hours after birth.

The tiny hedgehog has a larger-than-life ability to safely consume venomous snakes, beetles, bees and wasps, which would kill or sicken other creatures if consumed.

In 2012, 20 people in the U.S. were sickened with salmonella from hedgehogs, and one person died.

When a hedgehog encounters a new scent, it coats its body in spit to mask its own scent.

The hedgehog has plenty to say and may grunt, squeal, whistle, purr or even scream.

Hedgehogs come in a wide variety of colors, including gray, tan, brown and white. Many have white undersides, and some are completely white from quill to tail.

Hedgehogs can travel up to 6.5 ft. per second, allowing them to cover 2 miles per day.

Most hedgehogs have five curved toes per foot, which are perfect for digging. One variety, the four-toed hedgehog, has — you guessed it — four toes per foot.

Biddy the traveling hedgehog amassed 600,000 fans before sadly passing away at age 3 in 2015.