adorable pest
we see occasional hedgehogs in france, trotting with their little hopping gaits along roadsides or into the impenetrable scrub alongside walking trails and vineyards. they are considered pests in other parts of the world where they eat the eggs of wading birds. in theory i hate hedgehogs for this–destroying one of my favorite things (eggs) from one of my favorite animals (shorebirds). But if you look at a live hedgehog, hating it is like trying to get mad at a toddler in diapers walking with muddy feet across your newly mopped floors to show you a leaf she found in the garden: “oh, my floors!” you want to say, but what comes out is, “hey cutie, show me what you’ve got there.”
european hedgehog spines
In my part of the world, hedgehogs are constantly under threat from slug pellets, but are generally loved by all. They have been know to eat ground nesting birds’ eggs but that’s a rare event round here… love them. How did you acquire the quills?