One of the major differences between porcupines, hedgehogs and echidnas concerns the quills. A porcupine's quills are extremely sharp and barbed - and very dangerous. They detach easily when they have been embedded into the victim's skin. They are not venomous, but can certainly cause infection.
A hedgehog's quills (compared to a porcupine's) are very dull and are NOT barbed - not dangerous at all.
An echidna's quills are sharp, but unlikely to cause infection - just a lot of pain.
The defence mechanisms of hedgehogs, echidnas and porcupines vary tremendously. Hedgehogs roll up into a ball for protection. Echidnas may roll up, though not into as tight a ball as a hedgehog, or they may dig straight down, horizontally, into the ground so that while they are digging, only their quills are exposed. Porcupines arch their back, which has the effect of making the quills stand straight up. They have strong, armoured tails which they thrash about to hit a potential predator. Once their barbs embed in the skin of their attacker, they expand, forcing the quill deeper into the attacker's flesh.
Other points:
They are both mammals and both have quills, but that's pretty much where their similarity ends.
Echidnas lay eggs and, along with Platypus, are along the oldest branch of the mamalian evolutionary tree - that are not extinct.
Hedgehogs give birth to live young and are more related to shrews and moles.
They both evolved their quills separately - evolutionary convergence.
Hedgehogs, echidnas and porcupines do not actually look similar at all. There are many physical differences, and behavioural differences.
One of the major differences between porcupines, hedgehogs and echidnas concerns the quills. A porcupine's quills are extremely sharp and barbed - and very dangerous. They detach easily when they have been embedded into the victim's skin. They are not venomous, but can certainly cause infection.
A hedgehog's quills (compared to a porcupine's) are very dull and are NOT barbed - not dangerous at all.
An echidna's quills are sharp, but unlikely to cause infection - just a lot of pain.
The defence mechanisms of hedgehogs, echidnas and porcupines vary tremendously. Hedgehogs roll up into a ball for protection. Echidnas may roll up, though not into as tight a ball as a hedgehog, or they may dig straight down, horizontally, into the ground so that while they are digging, only their quills are exposed. Porcupines arch their back, which has the effect of making the quills stand straight up. They have strong, armoured tails which they thrash about to hit a potential predator. Once their barbs embed in the skin of their attacker, they expand, forcing the quill deeper into the attacker's flesh.
Other points:
* Hedgehogs are placental mammals and echidnas are monotremes (egg-laying mammals) * Echidnas are found only in Australia and New Guinea: hedgehogs are not found in Australia.
No. Echidnas are not even remotely related to hedgehogs. Echidnas are monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, whereas hedgehogs are placental mammals.
It is not known whether echidnas and hedgehogs get along, as they are found in different continents.
Hedgehogs and echidnas show convergent evolution. Despite being far apart, they ended up looking very similar. Like sharks and dolphins.
Echidnas and porcupines somewhat resemble hedgehogs.
It is very difficult to tell a male and female porcupine apart externally. The females are slightly smaller and have mammary organs while males have a penis which you cannot see from a distance.
No. All echidnas are mammals, and all mammals are vertebrates. Echidnas are different from "echinoderms".
there are 14 different species of hedgehogs.
No. All echidnas are mammals, and all mammals are vertebrates. Echidnas are different from "echinoderms".
Despite popular belief (due to their spiny backs, which are actually hollow hairs made stiff with keratin), hedgehogs are not related to porcupines (a rodent, whose quills come off upon contact, unlike the hedgehog) or echidnas (a monotreme).Instead, hedgehogs belong to the order Erinaceomorpha and are related to moles and shrews.
No, Hedgehogs are not related to pigs. Hedgehogs and pigs both belong to a different class of the animal kingdom.
no
Yes. Like all mammals, echidnas are vertebrates.
Baby hedgehogs are known as piglets or pups, and are small hedgehogs that have softer quills or spikes when born, then go through different sets of quills through different ages of life to get their adult quills.