How Fast Are Hedgehogs? Discover How Fast These Real-Life ‘Sonics’ Can Move

How fast is Sonic the Hedgehog? Does anyone really even know? He’s called the Blue Blur, so we are guessing he is pretty fast but not as fast as light or sound. Sonic seems pretty close to the superhero, the Flash’s speed. How fast are hedgehogs in reality? Let’s delve further into the subject to determine how fast these real-life Sonics can move.

What is a Hedgehog?

As you can see, hedgehogs are too cute for their grumpy personalities. Some people keep African pygmy hedgehogs as pets, though they aren’t for everyone due to their preferred solitude and peace. They are also found wild in Asia, Africa and Europe. They have even made their wild way to New Zealand, though they are not native. Overall, there are 17 types of these prickly little beings living their best lives in the world. The only type traditionally imported for the pet trade is the African pygmy hedgehog, which, as their name states, is relatively small.

Hedgehogs’ backs are covered with sharp quills, but their faces, legs, and undersides are free from quills. When a hedgehog feels threatened, it curls up in a tight ball with its quills standing up. They are carnivores and eat insects found in gardens and forests during their nocturnal hunt for food. Hedgehogs make little grunt sounds as they hunt for insects, which is why they are named “hog.” These prickly creatures are territorial and do not like other hedgehogs in their area. Males are especially aggressive and are known to fight rather brutally. They all prefer to be left alone and can run up to two miles a night searching for insects, fruit, and the occasional vegetable.

Sonic May Need Glasses

Hedgehogs of all species rely heavily on their keen sense of smell and their hearing to help them navigate through life. They are “legally” blind. They are not able to make out objects except extremely close to their pointy-nosed faces. The small animals fear most things and quickly roll tightly into their defensive quill-balls. It’s hard to trust when just about everything is an enemy.

Hedhogs have very keen senses of smell, which helps them navigate in the dark as they leave their daytime home and brave the wild world in search of tasty worms and other bugs. They sniff out the bugs and can dig a small amount as they root around in garden beds for tasty snacks. If they find themselves a mile from home, it’s not a worry for the hedgehogs who sniff their way out and return in the early morning.

How Fast Are Hedgehogs?

Let’s start by saying their motto might not be “gotta go fast” and instead might be more like “gotta go slightly fast.” Watching these endearing little spiky animals with surprisingly long legs (four inches long!) that carry them at the fastest speed they can muster is one of the cutest things you will ever see. To make matters worse for these fearsome creatures, the tiny pitter-patter of their feet is also completely adorable. No wonder they rely on their spiky quills for defense since running probably won’t get them too far from danger. But how fast are they?

Hedgehogs can run up to six miles per hour in short bursts but typically can be found trotting along on their nightly mission at a leisurely two to four miles per hour. They aren’t exactly breaking Sonic’s record speed. However, considering their round form and size, they aren’t super slow. They are running about as fast as a guinea pig can run.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Jenn Huls/Shutterstock.com