Alright folks, pull up a chair, grab your brew, and lend me your ears (or eyes, more like) because I’ve got quite the tale for you! Remember how we decided to go all David Attenborough and re-wild our backyard? Well, we’ve got our first celebrity: a bumbling, munching, rustling resident who has set up camp in our very own garden!
One peaceful evening, I’m lounging about (in my favourite chair, no less) when I hear this racket 20 feet away. Out I scamper, in the dark, in my flip-flops, ready to confront this unceremonious intruder. And what do I find? An adorably noisy little hedgehog!
Now, my garden’s always been a hotspot for all sorts of chirpy, flitty creatures, especially the tiny, lovely kind. But this rustling, bustling nocturnal visitor? He’s the new star on the block. He’s got a special liking for our very own prehistoric jungle of horsetails, which, let me tell you, looks like a massive miniature forest.
But here’s the thing about re-wilding: it brings out a symphony of wilderness right into your backyard. As I watch my small garden transform into a microcosm of a wild forest, I can’t help but marvel at the beauty of nature taking over.
10 Interesting Facts about the Hedgehog
- Hedgehogs got their name from their preferred habitat – garden hedges – and the pig-like grunts they make.
- Despite their spiky exterior, hedgehogs are known to be quite friendly.
- Hedgehogs are solitary creatures and usually come out at night.
- One hedgehog can keep an average garden pest-free by eating up to 200 grams of insects each night.
- Hedgehogs have around 5000-7000 spines, each lasting about a year before it drops out and a new one grows.
- When threatened, a hedgehog rolls into a tight ball, protecting its face and belly.
- Hedgehogs have a unique self-anointing behaviour where they produce frothy saliva and spread it over their spines.
- They can swim and climb walls – quite the adventurous little fellows, aren’t they?
- Hedgehogs are not native to Australia or the Americas.
- The lifespan of a wild hedgehog is typically around 2-5 years.
So, come on down, bookmark my website, and be part of this beautiful adventure. It’s not like Attenborough’s world, right, but there are lots of wonderful things happening.
