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What the sources say

European HedgehogErinaceus europaeus

Every figure, record and mechanism on the European Hedgehog profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 46 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

People's Trust for Endangered Species, Facts and Figures

Hedgehog. People's Trust for Endangered Species, Facts and Figures.

The page saysAround six thousand keratin spines
The source saysThey are 22-28 cm long and have around 6,000 closely-packed, hollow, creamy white spinesNote: ADW gives 'around 5,000' for an adult; ADW was last updated 2011-06-19, PTES is the current page, so PTES's figure stands
The page says1 to 2 km of travel a night
The source saysTravel 1-2km a night
The page saysGround-dwelling invertebrates, especially worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars and earwigs, plus birds' eggs and carrion
The source saysGround-dwelling invertebrates especially worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs. They also eat birds eggs and carrion.
The page saysOccasionally, some hedgehogs produce large amounts of frothy saliva and spread it over their spines
The source saysOccasionally, some hedgehogs produce large amounts of frothy saliva and spread it over their spines.
The page saysThe behavior is called "self-anointment", and its purpose is still a mystery
The source saysThe purpose of this 'self-anointment' is still a mystery.
The page saysFrothy and Unexplained Occasionally, some hedgehogs produce large amounts of frothy saliva and spread it over their spines
The source saysOccasionally, some hedgehogs produce large amounts of frothy saliva and spread it over their spines.
The page saysThe behavior has a name, self-anointment, but its purpose is still a mystery
The source saysThe purpose of this 'self-anointment' is still a mystery.
The page saysAround 6,000, closely packed and hollow. Each is creamy white, becoming brown at the base and pure white at the tip, with a dark chocolate-brown band just behind the point
The source saysaround 6,000 closely-packed, hollow, creamy white spines, becoming brown at the base and pure white at the tip. Just behind the point is a dark, chocolate-brown band.
The page saysroughly 6,000 hollow keratin spines
The source saysaround 6,000 closely-packed, hollow, creamy white spines
The page saysThe ball can protect a hedgehog from most natural enemies
The source saysBy rolling up into a tight ball and erecting their spines, hedgehogs can protect themselves from most natural enemies.
The page saysHedgehogs are 22 to 28 cm long
The source saysThey are 22-28 cm long
The page saysadults weigh between 450 and 1,500 g
The source saysAdult hedgehogs weigh between 450 and 1500 g.
The page saysIt is mostly active at night or after heavy rain
The source saysThey are mostly active at night or after heavy rainfall
The page saystravels 1 to 2 kilometres a night
The source saysTravel 1-2km a night
The page saysAlthough hedgehogs are usually thought of as slow, they can move at up to 40 metres a minute
The source saysThey are usually thought of as slow animals but they can move up to 40 metres a minute.
The page saysWhen foraging they tend to follow linear features, meaning long, narrow strips of landscape
The source saysTend to follow linear features when foraging.Note: 'meaning long, narrow strips of landscape' defines the source's term for readers; it names no feature the source doesn't
The page saysA hedgehog uses its keen sense of smell to find food
The source saysuse their keen sense of smell to find food and alert them to danger
The page saysground-dwelling invertebrates (animals without backbones), especially worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs, plus birds' eggs and carrion (dead animals)
The source saysGround-dwelling invertebrates especially worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, millipedes and earwigs. They also eat birds eggs and carrion.Note: the two parentheses define 'invertebrates' and 'carrion'
The page saysIn Britain, hedgehogs hibernate between November and the end of March, when food is scarce, staying largely inactive to save energy
The source saysBetween November and the end of March, when food is scarce, hedgehogs hibernate to conserve energy, remaining largely inactive.Note: PTES writes for Britain ('our only spiny mammal', 'GB population'); ADW gives other timings elsewhere (October to April in colder areas), so the months are scoped to Britain
The page saysHedgehogs are found throughout western Europe, including mainland Britain and Ireland
The source saysHedgehogs are found throughout western Europe, including mainland Britain and Ireland
The page saysare absent from large conifer plantations, marshes and moorland
The source saysAbsent from large conifer plantations, marshes & moorlands.
The page saysIn Britain there is considerable evidence of a dramatic decline, with around a third of the population lost since the millennium
The source saysthere is now considerable evidence for a dramatic decline in recent years, with around a third of the national population lost since the millenniumNote: 'national' is Britain: the page's population section is headed 'GB population size & distribution'
The page saysHedgehogs live about two years on average, and a small percentage reach five
The source saysAverage of about two years. A small percentage will reach five years.
The page sayseach of its roughly 6,000 spines
The source saysaround 6,000 closely-packed, hollow, creamy white spinesNote: vibe.reason (task #268); the same PTES count the body and FAQ 2 use

Source
02

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Erinaceus europaeus (western European hedgehog). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page sayskeratin spines
The source saysSpines are made of keratin and are attached to the skin in a similar way to hair.Note: backs the 'keratin' material word in the tagline and the body's '6,000 hollow keratin spines'; the count and hollowness are the ptes-european-hedgehog claims
The page saysa back muscle that lets them all stand on end at once
The source saysWhen a hedgehog rolls into a ball, all of the spines can be erected simultaneously, which is made possible by the panniculus carnosis, a sheet of muscle that covers its back.
The page saysField edges, hedgerows, parks, cemeteries and gardens across western Europe, in areas that are not thickly wooded
The source saysThe European hedgehog is found in temperate fields, especially field edges and hedgerows. They prefer drier areas that are not thickly wooded ... European hedgehogs are commensal and are often found in home gardens, cemeteries, parks, agroecosystemsNote: 'across western Europe' is the ptes-european-hedgehog range claim below; a habitat list names where the animal is found, so ADW's 'often' is not dropped
The page saysthe panniculus carnosus, contracts to curl the body into a ball while the muscles linked to each spine contract too, leaving every spine standing on end
The source saysIn order to form into a ball, they constriction the panniculus carnosus muscle. When this occurs, the muscles associated with each spine contract, leaving all of the hedgehog's spines erect.Note: 'A sheet of muscle across the back' is the 'sheet of muscle that covers its back' claim below
The page saysbadgers and foxes may be able to wedge their noses into the crease where the top and bottom of the spiny coat meet
The source saysSome predators, such as badgers and foxes, may be able to gain access to the hedgehog by wedging their noses into the crease where the top and bottom of the spiny coat meet.
The page sayspredators have been known to drop a balled-up hedgehog from a height to stun or injure it long enough to reach its exposed underbelly
The source saysPredators have also been known to drop a balled hedgehog from a height so as to shock or injure the hedgehog long enough for them to take advantage of its exposed underbelly.Note: same words in faq 3 and the body; 'stun' paraphrases ADW's 'shock'
The page saysA sheet of muscle called the panniculus carnosus covers a hedgehog's back
The source saysthe panniculus carnosis, a sheet of muscle that covers its back
The page saysTo protect itself, the hedgehog contracts that muscle to curl into a ball, while the muscles linked to each spine contract too, leaving every spine standing on end
The source saysTo protect themselves, hedgehogs have the ability to curl into a defensive ball that exposes only erected spines. In order to form into a ball, they constriction the panniculus carnosus muscle. When this occurs, the muscles associated with each spine contract, leaving all of the hedgehog's spines erect.
The page saysThreaten a European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and it curls into a ball, protecting its face and vulnerable underbelly
The source saysWhen threatened, hedgehogs curl into a ball, exposing their sharp spines while protecting their vulnerable underbelly and face.
The page saysA sheet of muscle called the panniculus carnosus covers its back
The source saysthe panniculus carnosis, a sheet of muscle that covers its back
The page sayscontracting it pulls the hedgehog into that ball
The source saysIn order to form into a ball, they constriction the panniculus carnosus muscle.
The page saysAt the same time, the muscles linked to each of its
The source saysWhen this occurs, the muscles associated with each spine contractNote: the sentence's spine count and 'hollow' are the ptes-european-hedgehog claim below, 'keratin' the adw keratin claim
The page sayscontract too, leaving every spine standing on end
The source saysWhen this occurs, the muscles associated with each spine contract, leaving all of the hedgehog's spines erect.
The page saysBadgers and foxes may be able to wedge their noses into the crease where the top and bottom of the spiny coat meet
The source saysSome predators, such as badgers and foxes, may be able to gain access to the hedgehog by wedging their noses into the crease where the top and bottom of the spiny coat meet.
The page saysBy day a hedgehog usually rests in a shallow nest of twigs, leaves and grass
The source saysThey tend to rest during the day in shallow nests made of twigs, leaves, grass, pine needles, and other foliage.
The page saysStored fat keeps them insulated and gives them the energy to wake up
The source saysHedgehogs survive the cold temperatures by storing fat to be used as insulation and as an energy reserve to wake up when necessary.
The page sayshibernating hedgehogs take periodic breaks to forage
The source saysThese periodic breaks in hibernation occur every 1 to 2 weeks and last for 1 to 2 days, during which hedgehogs forage for foodNote: final pass cut ADW's 1 to 2 week and 1 to 2 day figures: a duration from a page last updated 2011, with no current source (fact-check.md, Check the date)
The page saysnorth as far as Scandinavia
The source saysIt is commonly seen in northern Europe, as far as Scandinavia.
The page saysThey live especially along field edges and hedgerows, often in gardens and parks
The source saysThe European hedgehog is found in temperate fields, especially field edges and hedgerows. They prefer drier areas that are not thickly wooded and are occasionally found in scrub and sand dunes. European hedgehogs are commensal and are often found in home gardens, cemeteries, parks
The page sayscontract together, standing every one on end
The source saysWhen a hedgehog rolls into a ball, all of the spines can be erected simultaneouslyNote: vibe.reason (task #268); the 6,000 figure in the same sentence is the PTES claim 'each of its roughly 6,000 spines'

Source
03

Gazzard & Rasmussen 2024

Gazzard & Rasmussen (2024). Erinaceus europaeus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2024: e.T29650A213411773.

The page saysNear Threatened
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Near Threatened (NT).
The page saysWorldwide, the species is now listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Near Threatened (NT).Note: 2024 assessment (e.T29650A213411773), so 'now' is dated after the listing; ADW's 2011 Least Concern is superseded

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.