Hedgehogs are small, fascinating mammals easily recognized by their dense coat of protective spines. These creatures are primarily nocturnal, spending their nights foraging in gardens and fields, relying on their excellent senses of smell and hearing to navigate the dark. Their distinct appearance and habit of rolling into a spiky ball when disturbed have made them a familiar figure in both folklore and modern wildlife observation.
The Name for a Gathering of Hedgehogs
When hedgehogs gather, the collective noun is most often cited as a “prickle” of hedgehogs. This whimsical term is a direct reference to their most distinguishing physical characteristic. Another less common, yet accepted, collective noun is an “array” of hedgehogs. The term “prickle” is the widely recognized answer, though it is one of the more obscure collective nouns in the animal kingdom.
Why Hedgehogs Rarely Group Together
Hedgehogs are fundamentally solitary creatures in the wild. They do not exhibit complex social interactions and generally avoid the company of other hedgehogs outside of specific circumstances. They actively try to keep out of each other’s way to prevent conflict.
Adult hedgehogs generally only seek each other out for the purpose of mating during the breeding season. After the brief interaction, the individuals return to their isolated routines. The only other time a grouping naturally occurs is when a mother is raising her young, called hoglets, before they disperse to live on their own. Finding a true “prickle” in a natural habitat is therefore an extremely uncommon sighting.
The Defining Feature: Hedgehog Spines
The animal’s most recognizable feature is its dense covering of spines, which are modified hairs stiffened with keratin. An adult hedgehog carries an impressive number of these protective shafts, typically ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 spines across its body. These pointed structures are generally two to three centimeters long.
When threatened, the hedgehog uses a specialized ring of muscle along its back to contract and pull its soft, vulnerable belly, face, and limbs inward. This defensive posture creates a tight, impenetrable ball, presenting a predator with a painful barrier of spines. Unlike a porcupine’s quills, a hedgehog’s spines are not barbed and do not detach easily from the body. Young hoglets undergo a process called “quilling,” where their initial, softer baby spines fall out and are replaced by the thicker, permanent adult spines.