A round little hedgehog 🦔 with a back full of spines and a soft, furry face and underside. Browns and beiges keep it realistic; pastels turn it into something gentler. The rows of spines reward slow, patient shading. Free to download and print, no registration needed.
A hedgehog carries roughly 5,000 to 7,000 spines on its back. Each spine is a stiffened hair. When the animal is startled it rolls into a ball and raises them for protection. Spines are shed and replaced gradually, over about a year.
Is a hedgehog a kind of mouse?
No — despite the Japanese name harinezumi, literally "needle mouse," hedgehogs are not rodents at all. They belong to the order Eulipotyphla, the group that also contains moles and shrews, and their favourite foods are insects and earthworms.
When does a hedgehog sleep?
Hedgehogs are nocturnal. They curl up under fallen leaves or grass during the day and become active once it gets dark. Some species hibernate through the winter, letting their body temperature drop to save energy until spring.
