Hedgehog
"West European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)1" — Photo by Hrald / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
A prickly customer with a penchant for nocturnal garden strolls.
This small mammal is often found wandering through suburban gardens after dark. It relies on a unique defence mechanism when feeling threatened.
Did you know?
Hedgehogs are resistant to most snake venoms and can happily tuck into a viper for dinner.
“I am an ancient survivor that has barely changed for fifteen million years.”
“My back is adorned with thousands of keratin-based hollow spikes.”
“I possess a peculiar habit of frothing at the mouth when I encounter a new scent.”
“I am famously associated with rolling into a defensive ball to protect my soft underbelly.”
“A popular garden guest that is often served a saucer of milk, though it is not actually good for me.”