Have you ever wondered why hedgehogs are called hedgehogs? These cute critters have such bad eye-site that whenever they are foraging for food they make grunting noises similar to a pig!
They love nothing better than a slimy slug to eat as well as other mites and pesky insects that litter gardens in the warmer weather, so they are welcomed in most gardens during this time of year.
When the temperature drops and the food is less available, hedge-hogs hibernate and love to snuggle down in warmer holes in the garden, under a pile of leaves or even special hedge-hog houses that have become quite popular now by wildlife lovers. Just fill it with straw and your gardens best friend will be warm and sleep all winter long.
They have the cutest faces and sweetest natures, but they certainly are not cuddly. Their bodies are covered in long hard spines which protect them from enemies and keeps them safe. Each spine will last over a year and there are more than 4000 spines on each hedgehog. They use them to maximum effect by rolling into a ball thus presenting themselves as a spiky ‘no touch’ ball.
In ancient Rome, they were kept mostly for dinner and their quills used in various ways. One should be very respectful to them since they have inhabited the earth for nearly 50 million years, long before we did. Plus, they really haven’t changed that much or needed to. Some hedgehogs are even domesticated particular to certain breeds and their tiny babies are called hoglets.