whats a group of hedgehogs called
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Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. However, the extinct genus Amphechinus was once present in North America.
Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews (family Soricidae), with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last fifteen million years.[2] Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life.[3] Their spiny protection resembles that of porcupines, which are rodents, and echidnas, a type of monotreme.
1. Hedgehogs are one of only three animals to hibernate in the United Kingdom.
2. Baby hedgehogs are called ‘hoglets’.
3. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, rather than milk they prefer that you to leave out cat or dog food and water for them.
4. Hedgehogs have very bad eyesight but their senses of smell and hearing are impeccable.
5. Hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures meaning they only come out at night.
6. A hedgehog can run over six feet per second, that’s about as long as your bed!
7. In one night hedgehogs can walk over two miles.
8. Hedgehogs are insectivores, meaning they love the bugs in your garden.
9. A group of hedgehogs is called an ‘array’.
10. Hedgehogs haven’t always been called hedgehogs, a long time ago they were called ‘urchins’.
11. They have between 5000-7000 spines on their back which raise and lower if they feel threatened. Hedgehogs will curl up in a ball when they feel threatened and use these spines to protect themselves.
12. Hedgehogs enjoy foraging around in bushes and the undergrowth, that’s how they got their name.
13. Hedgehogs are known as a ‘gardener’s friend’ as they eat all the insects that nibble on our much loved plants.
A group of hedgehogs. A rare sight but something that can occur, nonetheless. But what are they called as a collective unit? How would you refer to them? Let’s find out.
So, what is a group of hedgehogs called? A group of hedgehogs is commonly called an array. Although, they have also been known as a herd or even a prickle, in reference to their quills.
There’s certainly a few terms to use, in spite of the fact that ‘array’ is the popular one.
And it appears that different the words used describe a particular aspect of their coming together.
Take array for instance.
Here is the definition of the term.
As a noun:
‘An impressive display or range of a particular type of thing.’
And as a verb:
‘Display or arrange (things) in a particular way.’
Either way it makes sense.
At least if we take these Oxford Languages definitions of the term.
Hedgehogs rarely come together in groups, as we will see in the next section.
That’s why the term herd is not likely used very often. The ‘coming together of a large group of animals’ – its just not likely.
But it would, however, be impressive to see.
And a coming together of hedgehogs would certainly display in a particular way with all those quills!
Hence the second definition of the term array.
As for the prickle definition; well, thats pretty self explanatory!
Do Hedgehogs Live In Groups?
Hedgehogs are solitary animals that do not live in groups. However, they do come together at particular times, such as when mating.
Even then, a male and female will not stay together for long.
As long as it takes, really.
It all starts when a male hedgehog finds a female.
They will circle them to engage mating.
After doing the deed, the male will leave immediately. Leaving her pregnant from anywhere between 30-40 days.
Once she gives birth, she will take care of a group of between 4-6 hoglets.
But even then, its not long.
The female will only look after, and feed, her young for 8 weeks.
After that, the young hedgehogs will go off to fend for themselves.
Alone.
Hedgehogs are small animals that look like porcupines and are native to Europe and Asia. When they are calm, they relax their quills, and you can actually pick them up, which is why some people have hedgehogs for pets. When they are angry or frightened, the quills stand straight out so that you cannot touch them anywhere without getting hurt.
Many people have started keeping hedgehogs as pets as they do not require a little interaction and are easy to look after. All questions aside, have you ever wondered what a group of hedgehogs together are called?
A group of hedgehogs together is called an array. A group of hedgehogs is not called a prickle.
By nature, hedgehogs are solitary animals and prefer to be alone. But sometimes, in the wild, you may come across an array consisting of many hedgehogs.
Although it is almost impossible to see an array, these tiny creatures usually meet up for mating. Or, if you visit a breeder or a shelter, you may see some hedgehogs there.
Is a Group of Hedgehogs Called a Prickle?
A misconception, like many, is that a group of hedgehogs is called a prickle. However, that is not true. As mentioned before, a group of hedgehogs is called an array and not a prickle.
Are Other Groups of Animals Called a Prickle?
More often, people dislike the idea of housing a hedgehog because they confuse it with porcupines. It should be noted that porcupines and hedgehogs are different animals. More so, they belong to different families.
The only common characteristic between a hedgehog and a porcupine is their quills.
For their one shared feature, people assume that a group of hedgehogs may be called a prickle. However, on the other hand, a group of porcupines is called a prickle.
It should make sense that both animals being prickly to touch should be called a prickle. However, since even their quills are built differently, they are not characterized as being in the same group of mammals.
As a result, they have distinguished descriptions that set them apart.
Do Baby Hedgehogs Like Being in Groups?
When a mother hedgehog gives birth, the babies must stay with her for six weeks until they wean off and mature. These babies stick close together during this period to remain warm.
Baby hedgehogs have displayed behaviors that show that they prefer to be together.
Caretakers have observed that baby hedgehogs show protective instincts for their siblings when being in the nest. They show their care by blocking other hedgehogs who were maybe bullying their siblings.
Do Hedgehogs Share Nests?
It may seem unlikely for a solitary mammal to share a nest. However, there have been certain instances that record hedgehogs were sharing nests. Hedgehogs build nests, one for giving birth and the other for hibernation.
During the hibernation period, it is likely to find more than one hedgehog in a single nest.
Some Adorable Animal Collective Nouns
A coterie of groundhogs
Around the eighteenth century, some French farmers called côtiers banded together to work feudal lands. A coterie is an exclusive group who spends time together pursuing common interests. What’s the common interest of groundhogs? They dig burrows and guard them with sentinels who whistle when danger threatens.
A prickle of hedgehogs (and porcupines)
A prickle is a pointed tip. Prickly can also mean irritable, but wouldn’t you be a tad miffed if you were known for only one characteristic? Hedgehogs are immune to snake venom. Did you know that? And porcupines are great climbers. They use their sharp, curved claws to get a good grip on trees!
A business of ferrets
Years ago, hunters used ferrets to hunt rabbits. That’s a legitimate “business,” but the word ferret is actually derived from the Latin word for “thief.” Pet owners often catch them secreting away shiny doodads, but how can you blame them? They have to keep busy somehow.
A parade of elephants
Parade comes from the French “display or show.” Elephants only have to spread their ears and sound a warning trumpet to let humans know who’s boss.
A skulk of foxes
Yes, foxes creep quietly and stealthily to sneak up on prey. But they also love to frolic, especially when they can trick silly golfers into chasing them.
The collective noun for hedgehogs is the word you would use to describe a group of hedgehogs.
We have identified the following word(s) that you could call a group of hedgehogs:
array
Used in a sentence, you could say “Look at the array of hedgehogs”, where “array” is the collective noun that means group.
As you can see, you simply substitute the word “group” with one of the collective nouns on our list above when describing a group of hedgehogs.
Thank you for staying with this post “whats a group of hedgehogs called” until the end.
