Atelerix frontalis (South African hedgehog)

The small body size and body covering of sharp spines are characteristic of the hedgehog. The spines typically 2-3 cm long, are modified hairs that extend from the forehead to the back of the rump. Hedgehogs are solitary animals and are primarily nocturnal, during the day they rest amongst dry vegetation and leaf litter or in the burrows of other species. They hibernate during the cold winter months, although they need to wake up regularly every few weeks to feed and urinate.