Baby African hedgehogs at San Diego Zoo: cute but spiny

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Five African hedgehogs, born June 18 at the San Diego Zoo, are getting bigger every day. OK, not all that big.

They range from 1.1 ounces to a whopping 1.4 ounces. When full-grown, each may top a pound or two. They’re nocturnal, native from Senegal to Sudan and southern Tanzania, and belong to the same family as shrews and moles.

Hedgehogs protect themselves by curling into a tight ball, tensing their muscles and letting their sharp spines ward off any foolish predator. The five, unnamed so far, are staying close to mother Amina at the Children’s Zoo portion of the zoo.

Tony Perry, in San Diego

Photo Credit: Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoological Society