Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Erinaceidae

Erinaceidae

9.9
A group of small mammals like hedgehogs with spiny coats and short tails
  • noun
  • /ˌɛrɪˈneɪʃiˌeɪdi/
  • Specialized
: Erinaceidae
  • In the taxonomic classification, the Erinaceidae family is best known for true hedgehogs.

Examples

  • Scientists have classified the hedgehog in the family Erinaceidae due to its distinctive spiny coat.

  • The Erinaceidae family includes various species of hedgehogs.

  • Recent studies investigate the evolutionary relationships within Erinaceidae.

  • The Erinaceidae family includes several species native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

  • Did you know that Erinaceidae are primarily nocturnal?

  • The family Erinaceidae comprises small mammals known for their spiny coats and short tails.

  • Researchers study the behavior of Erinaceidae species in their natural habitat.

Synonyms

family Erinaceidae
vsErinaceidae
  • Specialized
9.5

Small, spiny mammals like hedgehogs that live in Europe, Asia, and Africa

focuses on insect diet and short tails rather than geographic origin

Compounds

family Erinaceidae
  • Specialized
9.5

Small, spiny mammals like hedgehogs that live in Europe, Asia, and Africa

Surface Forms

Erinaceidae singular
Erinaceidae plural

Morphology

Erinaceidae = Erinaceus (opaque) = Erinaceus + idae

The '-idae' ending is a specialist Latin taxonomic marker meaning 'family' and the genus name is a Latinized proper name, so the formation is not semantically transparent to typical learners.

Etymology

Erinaceidae comes from the Latin genus name Erinaceus, an old name for the hedgehog, and the ending -idae means 'family' in animal names. So Erinaceidae literally means 'the family of hedgehogs', which fits its use for the small, spiny mammals we call hedgehogs.