The lifestyle of a prickly inhabitant of forests and steppes is well known to everyone. From the children’s books, the idea of a simple-minded and harmless little animal, with which meetings often take place near forest borders and steppe roads, is steadily living. The origin of the name of an ordinary hedgehog has Latin roots and is translated as a “prickly barrier”.
There are more than 20 different hedgehogs, but they are similar in many respects and are recognizable due to elongated muzzles on a fairly large head for an average hedgehog size up to 20 cm long. Eye-beads are very lively and expressive, but they see badly. But the sense of smell and hearing are excellent, although the tendrils on the constantly wet and mobile nose and ears are small.
Many people mistakenly believe that the porcupine and the hedgehog are a group of animals with related ties. In fact, the similarity is deceptive, the relatives of hedgehogs live among moles, shrews and lesser known tenrets and hymns.
An animal similar to a hedgehog with barbed clothing is not always his relative. Thus, the sea urchin is an animal that does not resemble a forest inhabitant, except for the name.
