41 Strange

are you sure that's not just a cat skeleton in a Guy Fieri wig

@angeIazy OH MY GOD

WHAT THE. Their tails aren’t that long though

WAIT AND THEIR LEGS ARE’T THAT LONG TOO

Give credit to who cleaned this up and made it an art, not someone who took a picture of it

That's fascinating. I had gotten the impression, from @HedgehogCabin's Cabin Mum and @Poppyshedgehogs Ann & Crew, that a hedgehog's 'hide', covered in their spines, was more like a specialized, flexible integument that strictly skin-hide, especially in regards to treating injury.

The muscles underneath the skin and spines make it flexible especially the bands of muscles around the "skirts". As you can see from the photo there is a lot of hedgehog anatomy missing between skeleton and coat of spines.

I thought from the first-aid treatment and descriptions you've provided about injuries to your little Hedgefolk's spine-hide, muscular-integumented 'shells', and treatment thus, that that part of their anatomy was very specialized and not simply skin and hide. Danke for posting!

Yes you're correct, the anatomy of the spines is a lot more complicated than this dried up specimen suggests. Each spine has it's own suspension system too.

Intercostal muscle connections, supports and articulation with the flexible integument of the hedge-spine hide shell, like a web-network of acting muscles, supporting and flexible tissues, then? That is exactly how I envisioned a Hedgentleman's specialized 'hide-shell' worked. :)

You might find this site interesting http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/0MInsectivor/Erinaceidae/Erinaceus/Erinaceus_europaeus/05WEHAMPelage.htm …

Ooooh! Hedgeanatomy and learnings! 2Paw gonna peek, he will! Snugs an ossum Poppy & Ann; thank you kindly for the pointings for 2Paw! ^_^