How are Hedgehogs different to echidnas?

Answer 1

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:

• One species of hedgehogs has been domesticated. Neither porcupines nor echidnas are domesticated.
• Porcupines are larger than echidnas, which are larger than hedgehogs.
• Hedgehogs have around 3000 - 7000 quills which average 2.5cm in length; porcupines have around 30,000 quills which average 5cm in length.
• Hedgehogs are often favoured by gardeners because they eat slugs and other garden pests. Porcupines eat the actual vegetation, including flower buds and leaves. Echdinas feed almost exclusively on termites and ants.
• Hedgehogs hibernate during winter; porcupines and echidnas do not.
• Wild porcupines are found in North and South America, Africa and Asia. Wild hedgehogs are found in Africa, Europe and Asia. Echidnas are found in Australia and on the island of New Guinea.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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:

• One species of hedgehogs has been domesticated. Neither porcupines nor echidnas are domesticated.
• Porcupines are larger than echidnas, which are larger than hedgehogs.
• Hedgehogs have around 3000 - 7000 quills which average 2.5cm in length; porcupines have around 30,000 quills which average 5cm in length.
• Hedgehogs are often favoured by gardeners because they eat slugs and other garden pests. Porcupines eat the actual vegetation, including flower buds and leaves. Echdinas feed almost exclusively on termites and ants.
• Hedgehogs hibernate during winter; porcupines and echidnas do not.
• Wild porcupines are found in North and South America, Africa and Asia. Wild hedgehogs are found in Africa, Europe and Asia. Echidnas are found in Australia and on the island of New Guinea.

Answer 4

* 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.

Answer 5

No. Echidnas are not even remotely related to hedgehogs. Echidnas are monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, whereas hedgehogs are placental mammals.