What can hedgehogs hear?

Researchers studied the ear anatomy of European hedgehogs using micro-CT scans, finding tiny middle ear bones and a cochlea perfectly shaped for detecting high-frequency sound.

This ultrasonic hearing may help hedgehogs communicate, understand direction and detect prey, but it also opens the possibility for ultrasonic warning or repellent systems on cars to reduce deadly collisions.

Read the research published in Biology Letters, led by WildCRU’s Sophie Lund Rasmussen and David Macdonald. The study was a collaboration between the University of Oxford, The Natural History Museum Denmark at University of Copenhagen, City Dyreklinik (Copenhagen), Aarhus University, Aarhus Universitetshospital, and University of Southern Denmark.