Two to ten young may be born after 30-40 days gestation. The newborn have an edematous skin covering their quills to protect the mother during birth. The young are weaned in 40 days. Life span is 8 years. Hedgehogs are the most successful and widespread modern survivors of this very ancient group.
Spiny armour is the main reason for their survival.
When that muscle contracts, it forms a bag into which the animal withdraws and simultaneously causes the obliquely set spines to become erect. Hedgehogs disappear during the dry season and probably estivate. Both European and African hedgehogs react to unfamiliar objects with a strong scent. When confronted with a strange hedgehog they use a saliva marking behavior called self-anointing in which the animal salivates copiously and plasters the froth over its sides and back. Spines protect a hedgehog from predators and also cushion the animal if it falls out of a tree.