Hedgehog Lore and Legends

It's not surprising that such a strange-looking little animal as a hedgehog should be the subject of some extraordinary legends and beliefs. Strange hedgehog activities such as running in circles and 'self-anointing' (smearing their spines with their own frothy saliva), are definitely fact, not fiction, through we don't know why they do these things.

But there are also a number of intriguing legends about hedgehogs, most of them dating back to the distant past.

Fruit Picking- Why should hedgehogs collect apples?

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Some people claim to have seen apples punctured as though by spines around a hedgehog nest. Others tell of a hedgehog picking up apples in its mouth, assembling them in a group, then turning over on its back and rocking to and fro on top of them. Other say they have seen a hedgehog walking away from a tree carrying apples impaled on its spines. But even if hedgehogs are physically able to carry apples, there's no point in doing so. They eat hardly any fruit, and can easily take what they find lying on the ground. Nor do they hoard food for the winter; they store their energy supplies in the form of fat.

Morning Milk - Do hedgehogs suck cows' udders?

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It is possible that hedgehogs occasionally attempt to suck milk direct from recumbent cows. And there's another way they obtain milk in the wild - early on a summer morning, cows sit quietly chewing the cud and waiting to be taken for milking. Their full udders often ooze drops of warm, sweet-smelling milk onto the grass, attracting any passing hedgehogs

Snakes Alive! Are hedgehogs in danger from snakes?


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A hedgehog under attack from a snake would immediate roll up and protect itself with its bristling spines. If the snake persists, it is likely to damage itself severely on the spines, and the hedgehog may seize the opportunity to sink its teeth into the snake and roll up again. In the end, the hedgehog often makes a meal of its former enemy!

these are brilliant helen, really enjoyed reading them xxx

Thank you - just something a little different x

Very interesting read x