subject: The Fascinating Hedgehog [print this page] Hedgehogs are considered food source in many parts of the world. Ancient Egyptians used to feed on hedgehogs. The hedgehog meat is still called for in some recipes of the Middle Ages. Hedgehog meat is considered to be of titanic curative value especially in people like the Bedouins who are mostly from the Middle East.
Rheumatism and arthritis are even thought to be cured by the hedgehog meat. Supposedly known to feed on the hedgehog meat are the Romani people. They also use its blood and fat for its medicinal value. The hedgehog suggested method of killing is holding its hind legs and its nose chopped off at the tip leaving it to bleed to death. Quite a funny way of killing it and this usually happens when it unrolls.
You can simply be able to know a hedgehog by only looking at its spines. They are covered with hollow hair that has been made stiff by keratin. Neither are these spines poisonous or barbed. Removing them however is not that easy a task as compared to the porcupine's "quills". However, they usually come off on their own due to some factors like illness, stress among others.
Hedgehogs are normally nocturnal. But all through the day, they may be more or less dynamic and this also depends on some species. The hedgehog sleeps frequently during daytime and this they do for a large part of the day. All wild hedgehogs usually hibernate, but factors like temperatures and food abundance among others can affect their hibernation.
In their ownership, Hedgehogs have many protection methods. In most cases, a hedgehog wouldn't deal with threat. But it would rather take off either rolled up as a ball or not. All hedgehogs have the power to run. Up to 4.5 miles per hour or even better can be achieved by most hedgehogs. They are also adept to swimming and at scaling walls that are steep and trees.
The ability of rolling into a tight ball is a defense mechanism shared by all species of hedgehog. This causes the spines to point outwards. But it's the number of spines that would determine the effectiveness of this defense method. Some of the desert hedgehogs have developed to carry not as much weight, and therefore they would try to run away or in some cases, even try attacking the danger. They usually attempt ramming into the intruder using their spines.
