π¦ How does a hedgehog protect itself with its spines?
The hedgehog protects itself with sharp spines. Let's meet this little friend that rolls up into a ball.
π· A hedgehog sniffing for food in the grass. Look at the spines on its back.
What kind of animal is the hedgehog?
Hedgehogs are small animals with thousands of sharp spines on their backs. The spines are hairs that have become stiff and hard, and when they fall out, new ones grow back. Wild hedgehogs live in the mountains and fields of Korea too.
When a hedgehog senses danger, it tucks its head and legs toward its belly and rolls up into a ball. Then its whole body is covered in spines, so predators can't easily attack it. Its back muscles are very strong, which lets it roll up tightly.
Hedgehogs are mostly active at night and use their sensitive noses to sniff out worms and insects in the ground. Hedgehogs that live in cold places hibernate in winter. A newborn hedgehog's spines are soft and hidden under its skin, and they start poking out after a few hours.
π Things to observe
- Compare a photo of a hedgehog rolled up with one of it stretched out.
- Find a hedgehog's nose and small eyes.
- Look at where on its body the spines grow and where they don't.
ποΈ Tips for drawing together with your child
- Draw a small round body in the middle of the canvas, then add short spiky lines around it for spines.
- Color the spines brown and black, and keep the face lighter.
- Draw it small and round in the middle, and Little Spike will curl up happily.
π¬ Let's talk about it
- What does it feel like to roll up into a ball like a hedgehog?
- What might be good and bad about having spines?
πͺ In the game: Little Spike
In Animal Drawing Shop, the hedgehog visits as a customer named βLittle Spike.β Little Spike asks for pictures on themes like a cozy spot, a night walk, a little gift, and loves small, round drawings right in the middle, like a curled-up hedgehog. Use plenty of the customer's favorite colors and draw with care to earn more coins. Try drawing with the real animal's features in mind!
Favorite colors: brownblack