Scientists suggest modifying cars to hit fewer hedgehogs

What’s Happening

Listen up: Placing ultrasound repellants on cars could protect the spiny mammals.

The post Scientists suggest modifying cars to hit fewer hedgehogs appeared first on Popular Science. Environment Animals Wildlife Scientists suggest modifying cars to hit fewer hedgehogs Placing ultrasound repellants on cars could protect the spiny mammals. (we’re not making this up)

By Margherita Bassi Published Mar 10, 2026 8:05 PM EDT A European hedgehog.

The Details

Up to one in three hedgehogs in local populations die on roads. Tine Reinholt Jensen Get the Popular Science daily 💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.

When it comes to how animals use ultrasound, chances are you ASAP think of bats and their insane echolocation ability. But, researchers have found out another—arguably much cuter—animal that can also hear ultrasound, with significant implications for its conservation.

Why This Matters

Meet the European hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus ), small nocturnal insectivores that turn into a spiny ball of death when they feel threatened. Unfortunately, the mammals are rapidly declining. Researchers estimate that every year, up to one in three hedgehogs from local populations die on roads, she adds.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

Key Takeaways

• ” Rasmussen is the lead author of a study published today in the journal Biology Letters .
• She and her colleagues worked with 20 rehabilitated hedgehogs from wildlife rescue centers in Denmark.

The Bottom Line

She and her colleagues worked with 20 rehabilitated hedgehogs from wildlife rescue centers in Denmark. They played brief bursts of sounds on a speaker, while small electrodes placed on the mammals recorded electrical signals fired brainstem, shooting between their inner ear and brain.

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