Hedgehogs
In Redwall
- Alignment: Good
- Nicknames: Hedgepig; hog; spikedog
- Appearance: Redwall hedgehogs look like bipedal hedgehogs with
clothes. They can roll into balls just like hedgehogs in our world,
and their spines make close contact difficult. A famed hedgehog sport
is spiketussling, where two hedgehogs lock headspikes and try to throw each
other down. Never mind that this wouldn't work for real hedgehogs- the
spines can't get stuck together- but this is Redwall. In Taggerung,
"facespikes" are mentioned, but Jacques may have just been talking
about headspikes, as hedgehogs have only fur on their face. Hogs tend
to be burly, and females are rarely any slighter of build. Most
hedgehogs tend to carry clubs and the like for weapons - bladed weapons
among hedgehogs are rare. Oftentimes they'll thread ribbons and the
like into their spikes.
- Diet: Hedgehogs eat anything any other goodbeast eats, though
they're particularly fond of wine, it seems.
- Habitat: Hedgehogs in Redwall have been known to live in
underground homes; in Redwall Abbey, of course, like any species; and there
have been several cases of hedgehogs living in houseboats.
- Typical Personality: Most hedgehogs are fairly rustic types, though
there has been a hedgehog abbess (Abbess Tansy, Pearls of Lutra) and
hedgehog recorders. Most can do quite well in a fight, and are decent
warriors, but rarely seem to use bladed weapons. They tend to be quite
good-humored and often have good sportsmanship.
- Habits: Many hedgehogs speak with a rustic accent, though not
nearly as convoluted as molespeech. Their rusticness is more like that
of people in the backwoods of Louisiana and the like. Redwall
hedgehogs seem to like wine - rarely is the Cellar Keeper of Redwall
anything but a hedgehog, so that the title is often Cellarhog rather than
Cellar Keeper.
Outside Redwall
- Classification: Order: Insectivora; Family: Erinaceidae; Subfamily:
Erinaceinae; Species: Erinaceus
europaeus [European hedgehog]
- Other Names: N/A
- Appearance: Hedgehogs look like small opossums with smaller tails-
if possums had 5000 - 7000 two-cm-long quills. They weigh 800 - 1200 g
and grow up to 12 inches [135 - 265 cm] long, with males being somewhat
larger than females. European hedgehogs are often a cinnamon color,
with brown fur.
- Life Span: Up to 6 years in the wild; up to 10 in captivity
- Diet: Hogs eat practically anything. They are insectivores,
and like earthworms, snails, slugs, and other invertebrates, but they will
also eat frogs, small reptiles, young
birds and mice, carrion, small bird eggs, acorns, and berries.
- Habitat: Hedgehogs nest in brush piles, under rocks, and in
burrows. They are very solitary creatures.
- Typical Personality: Hedgehog personalities range as wide as those
of any other animal. Some are quiet and reserved, not liking to
explore much; others are just the opposite.
- Habits: Most hedgies will hibernate between October and April;
however, it's not healthy for them, and domesticated hogs often won't wake
up from hibernation. When frightened, hedgehogs will pull their
headspikes over their eyes. When really scared, they'll curl into a
ball of bristling, impenetrable quills. Hedgies also self-anoint: When
they find an interesting-smelling substance, they will start to lick it,
then chew on it. A frothy saliva will form around their mouth, and
they will spread the substance-scented froth all over their quills.
This is not a sign of rabies, though it is often mistaken as
such. It is simply a natural habit. Hedgehogs are also mostly
nocturnal.
- Life Cycle: Hoglets are born fully spined, but the spines are
hidden within the skin, which is distended by water. The 150 or so spines
push through the skin as the fluid is reabsorbed. The first coat of spines
is soft and white. About 36 hours later, a second coat of darker spines has
grown in. After that, a third set of spines will generally grow in to
replace the first two coats. After 11 days, the young can curl into a
defensive ball, and after 14 days, it opens its eyes. By the age of one
month, young hedgehogs look like miniature versions of their parents.
Sows can have up to 2 litters a season, but usually only have one.
- Sites for Further Research:
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| A European hedgehog |
Curled in a ball |