2007-12-27 16:18:21 · 1 answers · asked by BOO!! 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
They are completely different animals. Porcupines are rodents, hedgehogs are insectivores and echidnas are monotremes (they are the only mammals, apart from the duck-billed platypus, which lay eggs). The fact that they have all developed spines for protection is an example of convergent evolution (where different species evolve similar solutions to a similar problem).
2007-12-28 06:51:55 · answer #1 · answered by The Wise Wolf 7 · 14⤊ 1⤋
Porcupines have long quills which can come out and stick in the face of a predator. They are also herbivores.
Hedgehogs have much shorter quills that do not come off, and they roll into a ball for protection. They mainly eat insects.
Both give birth to live young.
Echidnas are egg-laying mammals. They resemble hedgehogs more so than porcupines.
2007-12-28 02:20:54 · answer #2 · answered by Akatsuki 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
The three species are not related. They are an example of how some traits will appear in different, unrelated species simply for convenience, similar to how wings evolved in bats (mammals), birds and some insects. As some other posters have already said, echidnas are monotremes, hedgehogs are insectivores and porcupines are rodents. They are all mammals though. Hope this helps! :)
2007-12-28 01:30:36 · answer #3 · answered by ℂait 4 · 5⤊ 2⤋
Generally speaking, the hegdehog is a small spiney mammal (indeed it is Britain's only spiney mammal) which belongs to the group Erinaceus europaeus. The porcupine is a nocturnal (nighttime) animal from the rodent family, A porcupine is any of 23 species of rodent belonging to the families Erethizontidae and Hystricidae porcupines have tails.
2016-03-18 11:15:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
One of the major differences is that echidnas are actually monontremes (egg laying mammals) while hedgehogs and porcupine are not. (they give live birth).
2007-12-27 16:59:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Porcupines are rodents (order Rodentia). Hedgehogs are insectivores (order Insectivora). Echidnas are monotremes (order Monotremata).
2007-12-27 19:16:43 · answer #6 · answered by floreana_baroness 3 · 5⤊ 2⤋
What Is An Echidna
2016-10-03 08:54:34 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well all I know is a hedgehog is blue and runs really fast and... Oh, wait. We arent talking about Sonic are we?
2007-12-27 17:29:24 · answer #8 · answered by mark n 2 · 5⤊ 3⤋
THEY ALL ARE EGG LAYERS,THEY ALSO HAVE SHARP QUILLS FOR DEFENSE AGAINST LARGER ANIMALS LIKE TIGERS,LEOPARDS,AND OTHER PREDATORS THAT TRYED TO EAT THEM.
2007-12-29 10:16:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 11⤋
mainly nationality
2007-12-27 16:26:05 · answer #10 · answered by Ivanhoe Fats 6 · 4⤊ 10⤋