Echidna vs Hedgehog: What's the Difference?
Both are spiny, but the echidna lays eggs and is not closely related to hedgehogs. The echidna lives in Australia and New Guinea; the hedgehog lives in Europe, Asia and Africa.
Quick answers
They differ on 3 of the 8 quick answers: awake when, hibernates, kept as a pet.
| Question | Echidna | Hedgehog |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Insects only | Insects only |
| Dangerous? | No | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Day & night | Night |
| Hibernates? differs | No | Yes |
| Kept as a pet? differs | No | Sometimes |
| Do people eat it? | In places | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Echidna | Hedgehog |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Australia, New Guinea | Europe, Asia, Africa |
| Habitat differs | – | Forest, Farmland, Towns, Grassland |
| Size | Small | Small |
| Length differs | – | Up to about 26 cm (European) |
| Weight differs | Females about 4.5 kg, males about 6 kg | 0.8–1.2 kg (European) |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Spines | Spines |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 15–40 years | 3–7 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs differs | Yes | No |
About each
Echidna
Four species of spiny, egg-laying mammals from Australia and New Guinea, also called spiny anteaters. Their snouts carry electrosensors for finding buried prey, and they have long sticky tongues but no teeth. Their young are called puggles.
Everything on the echidna page
Hedgehog
Small, spiny insect-eaters of Europe, Asia and Africa that roll into a tight ball when threatened. There are 17 species; the European hedgehog is the familiar garden one.
Everything on the hedgehog page
Sources
- Wikipedia: Echidna
- Wikipedia: Hedgehog
- Wikipedia: European hedgehog
- Animal Diversity Web: Erinaceus europaeus
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Commonly confused animals.