' s ▁pione er ▁h edge h ogs ▁probably ▁had ▁fault y ▁teeth ▁for ▁this ▁feature ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁about ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁today ' s ▁animals . ▁Most ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁welcome ▁h edge h ogs ▁in ▁their ▁gard ens ▁as ▁they ▁rel ish ▁sl ugs ▁and ▁sn ails . ▁Conserv ation ists ▁are ▁less ▁happy ▁as ▁h edge h ogs ▁comp ete ▁for ▁in verte br ate ▁food ▁with ▁native ▁bush ▁birds ▁and ▁pre y ▁on ▁some ▁rare ▁insect s , ▁l iz ards ▁and ▁ground - nest ing ▁birds . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁extensive ▁h edge h og - control ▁programs ▁are ▁under ▁way ▁in ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁killing ▁thousands ▁of ▁them . ▁To ▁judge ▁by ▁road kill ▁counts , ▁North ▁Island ▁h edge h ogs ▁were ▁at ▁their ▁highest ▁numbers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁Since ▁then , ▁road kill ▁counts ▁have ▁fallen ▁dram atically ▁from ▁about ▁ 5 0 / 1 0 0   km ▁to ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 / 1 0 0   km . ▁ref s ▁Bro ck ie , ▁R . E . ▁ ▁in ▁Carol yn ▁King ▁( Ed ) ▁The ▁Hand book ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁M amm als . ▁▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁Oxford . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁The ▁European ▁h edge h og ▁is ▁found ▁across ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁habitat ▁types , ▁en comp ass ing ▁both ▁semi - natural ▁veget ation ▁types ▁and ▁those ▁areas ▁that ▁have