To other hedgehogs and to their potential prey, these small, nocturnal animals are prickly, bad tempered loners. They spend half the year sleeping, eat slugs, snails, small birds and frogs, carry fleas, and roll into a ball as soon as you look at them.
Despite this lots of people love them, attracting them to their gardens, keeping them as pets, giving them names like “Sonic” and “Mrs Tiggy Winkle”, and weaving myths and legends around them.
Some Hedgehog Facts
Although normally most active at night, hedgehogs are one of the most frequently seen of our small mammals, just as much at home in a town garden as in the countryside. They grow to a length of up to 12 inches (30 cm) and a mature adult can weigh as much as 4 lbs (2 kg).