Hedgehogs at a relaxed state look like a water droplet, with the rounded end being their rear. They have fragile small legs, with tiny nails for digging. Their ears and nose are the most heightened of their senses, with their eyes being very nearsighted. The reason for this is because of their nocturnal behavior, their eyes are not very useful in the darkness. They also have a small stubby tail. The most noticeable attribute of a hedgehog are its quills which are sometimes called spines.

Hedgehogs typically will live 2-5 years, and despite their pokey appearance can actually be very social and great pets! The oldest hedgehog to live in records was a whopping 16 years!

Hedgehogs can be found wild in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and New Zealand. They are typically found living in the woodlands and meadows, but can also be found in urban areas. They are nocturnal creatures that are very versatile, they can dig, climb, scuttle, and roll into a complete ball. They are not social with other hedgehogs and typically don't overlap territories other than in mating season.

Sleep Cycle Hedgehogs are nocturnal by nature (they are most active at night) but if you regularly hold your hedgehog, it may change its sleep schedule accustomed to yours. I have had hedgehogs in this past that will sleep all day, but others who would come out periodically to snack and exercise. But I believe that holding your hedgehog during the day may rotate their circadian rhythm to be more diurnal (active during the day).

Huffing Another behavior you may notice is your hedgehog rolling into a ball and spiking up. This is their first line of defense, and is typically used when they are surprised (mainly when your first pick them up) Hedgehogs have a large muscle that runs along their back that has fibers connected to each quill, when a surprised hedgehog rolls into a ball it tenses this muscle that pulls each quill all different ways, criss-crossing them. This is how hedgehogs defer predators, and at first touch they may think you are a predator. To get your hedgehog to unroll, let it lie on your hand FACEDOWN, this allows for the hedgehog to recognize your smell and calm down. This should make your hedgehog relax. If you hold your hedgehog upside down with its face up, it will not trust you and most likely not unroll.