Wagner Free Institute of Science

Title: Hedgehog

Year: Unknown

Creator: Found in England

Collection: Wagner Free Institute of Science

Material: Organic

European Hedgehog

This object is a collected specimen of a ErinacusEuropeaeus or European Hedgehog. This particular hedgehog was collected in England. Hedgehogs are a favorite in English gardens for their cute appearance and insectivorous habits. It is unknown how this object was acquired, however, it seems it was collected on a scientific expedition. 

Hedgehog Skeleton

This object is important to several people. Hedgehogs are beloved animals in the wild and as domesticated pets. Pet owners and gardeners are the primary people that this object would be important to. Although this object is a collected specimen for scientific research it is still important to those people who prefer their hedgehogs to be alive. This object could also be important to people that want to study the hedgehogs relative, the shrew. People that are afraid of prickly animals may not be interested in this object. Also people that don’t like rodents may not be interested. Many people think that hedgehogs are rodents like hamsters.

This object is on display in a glass case in the center aisle of the museum. On the shelf there are shrews, moles, and a collared peccary. These are the taxonomic relatives of the hedgehog. The object itself is mounted on a varnished wood. The hedgehog has its quills standing up in a defensive mode. Just below the hedgehog is a domestic hog and a Saiga antelope. The objects on the shelf with the object show what animals are related to the hedgehog. Other than that there is no interpretation that adds to your understanding of the animal. If you weren’t aware of the way the museum is set up you wouldn’t even make the connections with the other animals surrounding the hedgehog. There is one label for the object that simply says, “Hedgehog, Erinacus Europeaeus.” No further information is given. This label reflects the scientific point of view of the time when the Wagner was founded. Taxonomic displays and labels were popular ways to present specimens.

Silvia after a nap

Although there isn’t any additional information given about the object there is a strong opposing point of view about the animal. Many people have hedgehogs as pets and would have a different view of the animal’s behavior. Considering my own pet hedgehog, (her name is Silvia) they aren’t like porcupines. Many people assume that hedgehog quills are very sharp and shoot out like porcupines. Hedgehog quills don’t come out and they are just like human fingernails. The object at the Wagner is shown with its quills up suggesting an aggressive animal. Most of the time hedgehogs only do with when they are scared. As a pet they are used to people and after a few weeks they will not be a pokey. Therefore, I think the pet owner point of view is very different. There is also the point of view of state governments. Many states have made it illegal to have a hedgehog as a pet. The reasoning is that the hedgehog threatens the native bird population. This is a big issue in Pennsylvania especially.  Hedgehogs don’t eat birds, but they can eat their eggs in the wild. However, domesticated hedgehogs only eat cat food and mealworms. Only wild hedgehogs eat bird eggs. There are no wild hedgehogs in America, only in Europe. So it is safe to say that there are many points of view when it comes to the topic of a hedgehog. 

Silvia as a baby

Silvia

Fields of study for this object may include animal science, gardening, insects, animal behavior, pet care, and environmental science. To engage visitors with the object further I would love to do a program where they could actually see and touch the live animal and compare it to the specimen. (Hedgehogs have a very soft furry belly!) This would be an exciting activity that would add context to the object. It would also allow people to understand the different types of hedgehog as well as their importance to the environment.