Hedgehog Diaries January 16th, 2009

Hi again. Tiggy is still with us and getting bigger every day. And he is beginning to get just a little used to us. I think he prefers Brian to me. I must be the mum and the one that does things like pick him up and clean his cage and try to rid him of his ticks. So it is like good cop vs bad cop here. And I am the bad cop.

Brian holds him on his towel and chats to him while I am busy cleaning his cage.

And occasionally he is given a treat while sitting there patiently waiting for his nice clean bedding.... We found out one thing our little friend really enjoys.... Digestive biscuits. They are a bit like graham crackers in the US. And Brian being the good cop gives him a little treat while he is sitting there having a chat.

Usually he is curled up in a ball and we hardly get to see his cute face and little feet.

Now for the weigh in......... 655grams!!! Hmmmm wonder if we should cut back on the diggy biscuits.

My friend Jaqs sent me some books about Hedgehogs and I have been busily reading them here. I found out that hedgehogs in the wild don't have a discerning palate and will eat just about anything. Mostly their diet will consist of snails and slugs and beetles and earthworms. We have tried feeding some of these to our little friend, but he has decided he prefers cat food to those things. The book does say that hedgehogs that are taken in do become picky with what they eat. The book even goes on to explain about how hedgehogs have a bit of an immunity in their blood against adder(snake) bites. And if an adder would happen to come across a hedgehog it would have a very hard time biting it. And would eventually use up its store of venom and then become tired from trying to bite the hedgehog. And the hedgehog then has the upper hand and could well kill the snake at this time and decide that it looks like a good meal. This is something I didn't know at all about the little fellows. So with my dislike of snakes they really have moved up to being one of my favourite little animals.
Another fact the book points out is that Hedgehogs are an ancient animal. They have been around on Earth alot longer than us humans. Thanks Jaqs!!! I am really enjoying discovering all about our little friends.