Hedgehogs appear in figurative art and literature across the biblical world but their identification in the Bible is problematic. About 16 species of hedgehog, distributed among five different genera from the family Erinaceidae, currently live naturally in most of Eurasia and Africa, in various habitats from deserts to tundra. Hedgehogs are characteristically equipped with thousands of stiff, sharp spines known as quills that serve as their defense against predators. When threatened, hedgehogs can curl up in a pincushion-like ball of needles. Feeding mostly on invertebrates, such as insects, worms, and slugs, these solitary nocturnal mammals can be surprisingly loud, stomping […]
