In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland the heroine plays croquet using hedgehogs for balls and flamingoes for mallets. While we don't advise trying that yourself, it isn't hard to tell where the idea came from: when threatened, the hedgehog will roll herself into a perfect ball and make a snuffling sound! In fact, if a hedgehog needs to step down to a lower level or travel downhill, she'll curl up and roll, allowing her quills to absorb the impact! Although they look like little porcupines (figure A), hedgehogs -- which are actually relatives of the mole and the shrew -- can't lose their quills as porcupines do. The quills do, however, serve to protect the animals; consequently, they have few natural enemies. The hedgehogs commonly seen in pet stores are of the African, or white-bellied, variety (figure B). Although they are hardly what you'd call cuddly pets, they are fascinating creatures to have around. They give birth to litters of from four to six, and a hedgehog can live from six to 10 years. What You Need to Get Started - Terrarium
- Absorbent wood chips
- Water bottle
- Toys.
Tip: Be sure to establish separate sleeping and playing areas in your hedgehog's terrarium. Web site resources for hedgehogs: Hedgehog Links From About.com Common Disorders And Care Of Pet Hedgehogs
RESOURCES :
The Hedgehog : An Owner's Guide to a Happy, Healthy Pet
Model: 0876055013
Author: Dawn Wrobel and Susan Brown
Hungry Minds, Inc.
April 1997
Hedgehogs
Model: 0764113259
Author: Matthew M. Vriends and Tanya M. Heming-Vriends
Barrons Educational Series
September 2000
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