Some species of hedgehogs live to be 5-7 years old, have a gestation period that lasts around 4 weeks, and have litters of four to six individuals. Half of all newborns of these species die in the first year of life. Based on this information would you predict that hedgehogs are selected for:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hedgehogs exhibit characteristics of r-strategists, such as a short lifespan, a relatively short gestation period, and a high birth rate with a significant portion of offspring not surviving to adulthood. These traits are indicative of a reproductive strategy that emphasizes producing a large number of offspring with less investment in each individual, which is typical of r-selected species.

Some Species of Hedgehogs Live to Be 5-7 Years Old