It inhabits holes and bushes during day and it comes out during night to feed. It is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, roots, insects, worms, slugs and other small animals. Hedgehog hibernates during winter. When alarmed or disturbed, it has the habit of rolling its body a spiny rounded ball.

GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF ERINACEUS : HEDGEHOG

Commonly called as hedgehog.
Animal characterized by the presence of sharp backwardly directed spines on dorsal side. while ventral side has soft fur. Body elevated above ground and divided into head, neck, back and abdomen.
Head conical and produced into a small snout bearing nostrils at the tip.
Mouth small bearing 36 sharp pointed teeth.
Eyes small. Pinnae and legs short. No marsupial bone or pouch. Number of ribs 14-15.
Hind limbs and forelimbs short.
A muscle band is found over neck and sides to move spines, Vagina single, foetus develops within uterus of female, attached by a placenta.

Special features

These are probably the most primitive of the Eutherians. The brain represents low grade of organization. Cranial cavity is small. The stomach is simple. The allantoic placenta is discoidal and deciduate but there is a provisional yolk sac placenta. Many young born at a time. When disturbed hairs of dorsal surface become converted into spines and due t0 strong development of dermal muscles. The animal rolls into a spiny round ball.

Identification

Since this mammal has sharp backwardly directed spines and above hence is Erinaceus or Hedgehog.

OUR POSTS

BUFO : COMMON TOAD
BUFO : COMMON TOAD CLASSIFICATION OF BUFO : COMMON TOAD PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present ) Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain ...READ MORE
SACCOGLOSSUS
SACCOGLOSSUS CLASSIFICATION OF SACCOGLOSSUS PHYLUM :- HEMICHORDATA ( Marine, enterocoelous coelomate. Notochord confined to head region). CLASS :- ENTEROPNEUSTA ( Several gill-slits, intestine ...READ MORE
TAPEWORM : TAENIA SOLIUM
TAPEWORM : TAENIA SOLIUM CLASSIFICATION OF TAPEWORM : TAENIA SOLIUM PHYLUM :- PLATYHELMINTHES (Organ grade, acoelomate flatworms. ) CLASS :- CESTODA (Segmented tapeworms without ...READ MORE
PENAEUS (PRAWN)
PENAEUS (PRAWN) CLASSIFICATION OF PENAEUS (PRAWN) KINGDOM :- ANIMALIA (Multicellular eukaryotic organisms) PHYLUM :- ARTHROPODA (Jointed appendages.) SUB-PHYLUM:- CRUSTACEA (Exoskeleton thick, ...READ MORE
PHYSALIA
PHYSALIA CLASSIFICATION OF PHYSALIA PHYLUM :- COELENTRATA (Tissue grade, diploblastic and acoelomate. ) CLASS :- HYDROZOA (The hydroids and craspedote medusa ) ORDER :- SIPHONOPHORA (Polymorphic ...READ MORE
MYTILUS (SEA MUSSEL)
MYTILUS (SEA MUSSEL) CLASSIFICATION OF MYTILUS (SEA MUSSEL) KINGDOM :- ANIMALIA (Multicellular eukaryotic organisms) PHYLUM :- MOLLUSCA (Unsegmented bilaterally symmetrical and provided with ...READ MORE
VENUS (SALTWATER CLAM)
VENUS (SALTWATER CLAM) CLASSIFICATION OF VENUS (SALTWATER CLAM) KINGDOM :- ANIMALIA (Multicellular eukaryotic organisms) PHYLUM :- MOLLUSCA (Unsegmented bilaterally symmetrical and provided with ...READ MORE
HIPPOSPONGIA
HIPPOSPONGIA CLASSIFICATION OF HIPPOSPONGIA PHYLUM :- PORIFERA (Pore bearing, cellular grade, asymmetrical or radially symmetrical.) CLASS :- DEMOSPONGIAE (Spongin fibres or siliceous spicules. ...READ MORE
MUSK DEER
MUSK DEER CLASSIFICATION OF MUSK DEER : MOSCHUS MOSCHIFEROUS PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present ) Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with ...READ MORE
COELOPLANA
COELOPLANA CLASSIFICATION OF COELOPLANA PHYLUM :- CTENOPHORA (Biradially symmetrical. Radiata without nematocysts. ) CLASS :- TENTACULATA (With tentacles.) ORDER :- PLATYCTENEA (With ...READ MORE