Picture trying to survive in gardens, hedges and woodland across the UK, Ireland and Europe. For many animals, a habitat like this would be impossible. Yet the hedgehog, a mammal about 25 centimeters long, thrives there, thanks to features that scientists call adaptations: traits that help a living thing survive in its environment.
Consider about 5,000 to 7,000 sharp spines: this adaptation protect it when it rolls into a tight ball. The word spines refers to stiff, sharp hairs. Equally important is a strong sense of smell, which helps it find insects in the dark. Without these traits, the hedgehog would struggle to last a single season.
As a carnivore, the hedgehog is an animal that eats other animals; it depends on beetles, caterpillars and earthworms. Its behavior matters as much as its body: it hibernates through the winter in a nest of leaves. Behaviors like this are adaptations too, even though you cannot see them in a photograph.
The next generation faces the same challenges. Young hedgehogs, called hoglets, depend on their surroundings and on adult care. Hoglets are born with soft spines that harden within a few days.
Perhaps most remarkable of all: a hedgehog can travel more than a kilometer in one night looking for food. Facts like this remind us that every animal's body tells a story about the place it lives.