Hedgehog

“Hedgehog is a quadruped distinguished by having the body covered with spines instead of hair. The skin of the back is provided with a great orbicular muscle which enables the animal to roll itself up in the form of a ball. The tail is very short. There are several species—some authorities enumerate 14. The best known is the common hedgehog. This species has a long nose, the nostrils bordered on each side by a loose flap; the hind feet have five toes; the ears are short, rounded, naked and dusky; the upper part of the face, sides, and rump covered with strong, coarse hair, of a yellowish ash color, the back with sharp strong spines of a whitish tint with a bar of black through their middle. They are usually abot 10 inches long, the tail about one. Their usual residence is in small thickets, and they feed on fallen fruits, roots, and insects; they are also fond of flesh, either raw or roasted. The hedgehog defends himself from the attacks of other animals by rolling himself up, and thus exposing no part of his body that is not furnished with a defense of spines. It may be rendered domestic to a certain degree, and has been employed to destroy cockroaches which it pursues with avidity. In the winter the hedgehog wraps itself in a warm nest, composed of moss, dried hay and leaves, and remains torpid till spring."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

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