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.
They are nocturnal animals. They can recognize colors and have a very acute auditory sense, but the olfactory sense is most important. Frequently found run over on the road. These hedgehogs are the favorite prey of the Verreaux Eagle Owl and the natives use their skin or spines as fertility charms. East African Mammals, Vol IIA, University of Chicago Press.