Porcupine quills are much longer, they can reach up to three inches long, compared to the smaller one-inch hedgehog quills. Their quills are one of their main differences. We briefly mentioned their quills earlier, and how they are so different. They tend to eat old wood which can clear up spaces, becoming beneficial to forests, as this happens their fecal matter acts as a fertilizer that encourages new plants to grow. Porcupines actually help the environment, whereas a lot of herbivores can be destructive. They will often munch on plants or wood, they enjoy hunting for fallen fruits, nuts, grass, seeds, and leaves. Porcupines love plants, they are herbivores. While they mainly enjoy meat, they also like a tasty berry or a bit of foliage as a snack, so their diet has a variation. Some will also like to have a snack on some fruit or vegetables. This means that they can be carnivorous, eating caterpillars, worms, beetles, and maybe even a baby bird or frog if it is lucky enough. Porcupines are more likely to be seen in the open than hedgehogs, since they do not burrow underground, however it is also very possible to see a hedgehog in your backyard. Some may even climb into trees to rest on their limbs, however this is rare, but not totally unheard of. Porcupines, unlike the smaller hedgehog, do not create burrows, however they will instead rest inside hollow logs, behind rocks, or in small crevices. Porcupines, on the other hand, like living in forests, deserts, and rocky coves. If they find a spot that they think will make a nice home, they will burrow underground and make their home there. Hedgehogs will enjoy many different types of spaces, they may live in forests, deserts, or savannas. While some of the places that they live in seem to be fairly similar, these two creatures even have different habitats, yes, even in the countries where they both live. Instead, they sleep for long hours but then venture out to get food, even if it is very cold outside. There are some hedgehogs who hibernate, however, a majority of porcupines do not.There are 17 species of hedgehogs and 29 species of porcupine in the world.Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, and they mainly rely on smell and touch in order to find food.Hedgehogs can grow to be anywhere between 4-12 inches long, while a porcupine can be anywhere from 15-18 inches long.Hedgehogs will eat meat and vegetation, whereas porcupines only eat vegetation.Porcupines have very long quills in comparison to hedgehogs.A baby porcupine is called a porcupette, while baby hedgehogs are called hoglets.Both species are primarily nocturnal, however, some hedgehogs may venture out during the daytime.Instead of listing all the information on every difference that these two animals have, let’s make it a little more simple for you, so if you are wondering which is which, you can easily define what is a hedgehog and what is a porcupine.
So, these two creatures are actually very different, and do not even share any real genetic inklings of similarity. On the other hand there are Porcupines, these belong to the Hystricidae and the Erethizontidae families, and they are native to both North and South America, as well as Asia, Europe, and Africa. Hedgehogs actually belong to the Erinaceidae family, and they are native to certain places in Europe, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. Hedgehogs and porcupines are not related. So, if they are not the same, are they even related? Well, no.
These two animals do not only vary in their sizes, but they have very different diets, defensive skills, and habitats too. Are they related?Īt first glance these two creatures might look very similar, however, they really are rather different from one another. So, let’s talk about these two weird and wonderful animals. Though these two creatures may have a similar look to them, they are not the same, they are actually far from it. These two similar and fascinating creatures also have different diets, where porcupines are herbivores, eating mostly plants, hedgehogs are omnivores. Hedgehogs have quills that will fall off, whereas porcupine spines will easily attach themselves to any unfortunate predator who even thinks about coming close enough. Hedgehogs are smaller than porcupines, they also have quills or spines which are also smaller than those of a porcupine. If you like exotic pets, you might fancy a hedgehog as a pet, either way they are interesting animals to have around.