#species reference

Quills:

Hedgehog quills are soft and flexible when they're born, to keep from inuring the mother, but will harden into stiff points within a few days. The quills are mixed in with long fur that grows on the hedgehog's head and upper back, and the hair and quill mix will naturally group together into distinct parts. This, and the quill growth direction influences a hedgehog's natural hairstyle, though certain styling products and equipment can change that style.

When a hedgehog reaches adulthood and finishes quilling they'll gain a secondary color in their head quills/hair. The secondary color pattern tends to follow the natural parts, accenting the groups. For most hedgehogs, the secondary color is usually a lighter or darker shade of their primary fur color. But sometimes it'll be a completely different hue.

Fringe/Bangs:

All hedgehogs have quills that grow from the crown and back of their heads, as well as from their backs on their shoulder blades. Some hedgehogs have additional fringe/bang fur that grows long on the crown of their head, in front of their quill/fur mix. This fringe is usually styled according to the hedgehog's preference.

Ears:

Hedgehog ears are around the same size as their eyes, and the inner fur is always the same color as their muzzle fur. Some hedgehogs also have tufts of longer fur at the tips of their ears.

Nose:

Hedgehog noses are rather small compared to their other facial features, and are always black in color. The shape ranges from long and rounded, to short and pointed.

Chest fur:

Most hedgehogs have another color for part of their chest fur; either the same color as their muzzle, or white. The white fur seems to only apply when there's a significant difference in the length of the chest fur compared to the rest of the body.

Short chest fur color patterns can range in size as well as shape. Though distinct shapes beyond simple geometric shapes are never seen.

Long chest fur will only reach to the bottom of the xiphoid, but can sometimes stretch up and over the shoulders and around the back. Chest fur that is this long tends to be white in color, regardless of the hedgehogs' primary fur color.

Arms:

There seem to be an equal amount of hedgehogs who's arm fur is the same color as their muzzles. When this happens it seems to always be their entire arm, up to the shoulder and including the hands, that is the muzzle color.

Paw Pads:

The only parts of hedgehogs that aren't covered in fur are the slightly tougher paw pads on their palms and the soles of their feet. The amount of the palm/sole that the paw pads cover, and the shape of the paw pads vary between hedgehog. Sometimes they can also blend in with the surrounding fur if they're the same color.

Claws:

Like other Mobians with claws, hedgehogs have thick nails that grow deep within their digits, but are not actually connected to the bones. All claws have a quick, making the nail bleed if cut too short. However consistent careful trimming will cause the quick to receded to the edge of the finger, allowing the hedgehog to have fairly short claws.

All claws are usually bone color, but can also be black. Black claws are more prone to bleeding when trimmed since it's harder to see where the quick ends.

Tail:

Hedgehogs have relatively short tails compared to other species like cats and foxes. Their tails have a bit of range in length, from just a bit longer than the length of their palm to just slightly longer than their whole hand. Like the chest fur, they can also have relatively short fur on their tails, or a bit more fluff.

Recessive Traits:

Well known recessive traits are:

The secondary quill color and patterns manifesting on other parts of the body

The quills on their back parting into three distinct groups instead of the usual two.

Quills growing where they usually only have fringe/bang fur.

Crystal Guardians are spirits made from precious stone, and are often found in caves and mineshafts. While typically friendly, trespassing on unsocialized or "wild" Guardians' territory is generally not advised.

Some Guardians are found at temples and in certain caves that have a shrine in or around them, and are very familiar with humans and human interaction (these are colloquially known as "Shrine Guardians"). A Shrine Guardian can be trained to expect offerings from travelers, and if persuaded enough, can even prove helpful in mapping and navigating a cave system. Shrine Guardians specifically are usually the result of intentional manifestation, as opposed to "Wild" Guardians.

"Wild" Guardians manifest in places of concentrated magic and pressure. This is usually deep in a cave system or mineshaft, but can on rare occasion happen in riverbeds or lakes. These Guardians are generally more unpredictable than Shrine Guardians, but are still relatively tame creatures. Not that we at the research center would recommend trying to befriend one.

All Guardians eat softer rocks like limestone and slate. They're able to break off pieces with their powerful beaks, while their gemstone teeth grind the rocks into smaller chunks for digestion. (Some rural cities have reported wild Guardians supposedly chewing holes in local infrastructure. Apparently, they like the taste of concrete.)

A Guardian's skeleton is entirely composed of its precious stone -- The growths we see on its back and forehead are in fact not just topical; they're protrusions from the skeleton. While their exact purpose is currently unclear, current theories include mating display, or as a defensive measure against predators.

Guardians are intelligent creatures, though they possess no mind for spoken language. They can, however, read body language and intention exceptionally well, to the point of even being able to tell if someone is lying. For many years, Shrine Guardians have served as a "pure of heart" test for many cultures.