From rq, who says: Came home Wednesday morning 5AM from work, and woke the dog up – between the two of us, we disturbed Spiny on their morning constitutional. I’m 99% sure they were just taking their daily stroll while everyone else is ordinarily sleeping, and so did not expect an overly curious dog and human to be examining their passage through the yard. Yes, I picked the hedgehog up and moved to a slightly safer space (most magical feeling in the world, couldn’t tell you why, but it was very calming), and then I put the dog behind the fence to let them make a safe getaway, because as friendly as the puppy is, I don’t think she’s good at estimating her own strengths towards smaller beasties. The lighting was crap, but it’s the hedgehog that counts!
So cute! Click for full size.
© rq, all rights reserved.
I can’t even say just how much I love that the hedgehog decided to rest on a rake. :D
Hedgehogs are cute. They make you want to pet them… ouch!
Some people keep them as pets. I’ve never even been close to one.
So cute!
Back in 2006 Mr and I went to Scotland.
The campsite in Inverness had a resident hedgehog which came visiting at night.
I can tell you that hedgehogs are effing loud.
We called ‘im Seamus.
I couldn’t even tell you the feeling I got when I held it in my hands. I expected a fragile trembling little lump, but it felt like a pretty solid, warm, self-assured mass -- and then it breathed in and out, so slowly but surely, it was pure magic.
@Giliell
I concur. Whenever a hedgehog visits my garden in the night, I get the feeling there is a rampaging rhino on the loose. It is unbelievable how such relatively small animal can stomp and sniff so loud.
Wouldn’t surprise me, I have rats. Sounds like a herd of elephants got lose half the time.
Solid little lumps. A shame they can’t swim, we lost one to the decorative pond about three years ago. I’m glad to see it wasn’t the only one in the neighbourhood.
rq:
I know it would be that way for me, a moment of pure wonder. I hope I have that opportunity some day.
Aww, hedgehogs are so cool! What a happy surprise, rq! I had a rescue hedgehog many years ago, here in the US they are African pygmy hedgehogs which are quite a bit smaller than European ones. But they’re definitely a solid little ball of spines and muscle!
@rq
I remember seeing a wild hedgehog swim in an educational movie in my teens. So I checked Dr. Google now, and they say that hedgehogs can swim (although one of the results was not an animal swimming, but floating).
Was it not more due to a bad pond design? Too steep/slippery edges that do not allow the animal easily escape etc.?
Most likely, I think. So I should probably amend my statement from ‘too bad they can’t swim’ to ‘too bad they can’t tread water indefinitely’.