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Animal Age

How old does a European hedgehog get? (age expectancy)

What is the maximal age a European hedgehog reaches?

An adult European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) usually gets as old as 14 years.

European hedgehogs are around 37 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 15 grams (0.03 lbs) and measure 7 cm (0′ 3″). As a member of the Erinaceidae family (genus: Erinaceus), a European hedgehog caries out around 4 little ones per pregnancy, which happens around 1 times a year. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 23.7 cm (0′ 10″).

As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.

A European hedgehog gets as old as 14 years

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species found in Europe, from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia. 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 favorite in European gardens, both for its endearing appearance and its preference for eating a range of garden pests. While populations are currently stable across much of its range, it is thought to be declining severely in Great Britain.

Animals of the same family as a European hedgehog

Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Erinaceidae):

Animals that reach the same age as European hedgehog

With an average age of 14 years, European hedgehog are in good companionship of the following animals:

Animals with the same number of babies European hedgehog

The same number of babies at once (4) are born by:

Weighting as much as European hedgehog

A fully grown European hedgehog reaches around 789 grams (1.74 lbs). So do these animals:

Animals as big as a European hedgehog

Those animals grow as big as a European hedgehog: