Erinaceus
''Erinaceus'' is a genus of hedgehog from the family of Erinaceidae. There are four main species of ''Erinaceus''. The range is all across Europe, throughout the Middle East, parts of Russia, and extending to northern China and Korea. The European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus'') has been introduced to New Zealand.Macdonald, David W. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York, NY: Facts on File, 1984 . Description As is characteristic of other hedgehogs, members of ''Erinaceus'' have spines. These spines are a modification of the hair that is formed and strengthened by keratin. They contain hollow air filled gaps separated by thin inner layers of the spine to lessen the weight load.Grzimek, Bernhard, Neil Schlager, Donna Olendorf, and Melissa C. McDade. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2004. Every spine is tapered at the end to form a point and also at the base where it then forms a bulb that is attached to the skin. The tapering at the base allo ...
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Erinaceus Europaeus
The European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus''), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles.Harris, S. & Yalden, D.W. (2008). ''Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook, 4th Edition.'' The Mammal Society, Southampton. It is a generally common and widely distributed species that can survive across a wide range of habitat types. It is a well-known species, and a