Can you tell the age of a hedgehog by the number of spines it has?

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot accurately determine the age of a hedgehog by counting the number of spines it has. A hedgehog's spines are not an indicator of its age, but rather a means of protection from predators. Hedgehogs are born with soft spines that harden as they grow older, but the rate of hardening can vary widely between individuals. Some hedgehogs may have hardened spines at just four weeks old, while others may take up to ten weeks or more.

If you want to know the age of a hedgehog, you will need to rely on other factors, such as weight and size. Hedgehogs grow rapidly during their first few weeks of life, so a small hedgehog is likely to be younger than a larger one. However, this is not an exact science, as growth rates can vary between individuals as well.

Yes, you can tell the age of a hedgehog by the number of spines it has. A newborn hedgehog has about 300 spines, and the number of spines increases to about 5,000 by the time the hedgehog is about 1 year old. The number of spines then remains relatively constant throughout the hedgehog's life.

However, it is important to note that the number of spines can vary depending on the species of hedgehog. For example, the European hedgehog has fewer spines than the African hedgehog. Additionally, the number of spines can also be affected by factors such as diet, health, and stress.