They utter grunting and snuffling noises when they are feeding. An unusual behavior of hedgehogs is self-anointing. It flicks the saliva onto its spines by its long tongue. The function of self-anointing is unknown. Some think it is used as a sexual attractant, to reduce parasites on the skin, an attempt to clean the spines, or to make the spines distasteful to predators.
Hedgehogs eat a wide variety of prey.
They eat virtually any available invertebrate. They also eat seeds, berries or fallen fruit. Most of the hedgehogs in tropical climates breed throughout the year. There is no pair bond formed and the male shows no paternal behavior. During gestation, the female prepares a nest in which to give birth.