the hedgehog
SPIKY
There was a time when forests covered much of Germany. High above, the treetops met and wove a great green roof over the home of remarkable animals. Bit by bit, people arrived, raising houses and roads, and the animals had to learn to live alongside these creatures so different from themselves.
Today, cities and woodlands complement each other in the beautiful German landscape. Some animals came to make their homes in gardens, one of these is Spiky. Spiky is a little hedgehog, and from afar he looks like a small furry ball. His bright eyes and long snout win over anyone who sees him, but don't be fooled… he isn't as harmless as he seems. In fact, his body is covered in sharp quills, which serve as a defense.
Spiky is sure he's the luckiest hedgehog of all. He used to live in a damp forest full of dangers, but one night, a sweet scent of fruit, so pleasant it felt almost like a hug, drew him like a magnet to the garden of a house just across from the forest's edge. It was a paradise! Full of insects of every kind, it had caterpillars for dinner, beetles for dessert, and little grubs for a late-night snack. That's where he decided to stay, and that's where he lives to this day. Spiky's nights are almost all the same: hunting, exploring, but on one particular night, Spiky has a surprise…
The wind rustles through the trees, and Spiky wakes to the whisper of the reddish autumn leaves, just in time to see the last ray of sun slip below the horizon. The humans are already tucked away inside their houses, and Spiky stretches long and slow, ready for another night of hunting. He wonders what delicious insects he'll find tonight as he goes out of his hideaway: a crack in a stone wall that divides two gardens.
He scans the whole garden, deciding which corner to search first, when he spots something different. He blinks, still a bit bleary-eyed, and focuses on the strange object. He can't quite make it out, it's covered with leaves, but there's definitely something new in sight. If there is one thing Spiky could never resist, it is new discoveries, his little nose is already twitching with curiosity. On his nimble little legs, he hurries across the lawn to take a closer look.
Spiky is so absorbed in this new object that he almost fails to notice a threat drawing near. But a hedgehog's sense of smell never lies: soon he catches a scent he hasn't smelled in a long time, yet he knows it all too well. Slowly, Spiky turns his head toward the odor. There it is, in the gap of a little gate the humans had forgotten to close: a pair of golden eyes.
The reddish shape steps into the garden and dashes nimbly toward the hedgehog, who, without a second thought, curls into a perfect ball of quills. The fox pokes the ball with its paw and instantly jerks back with a yelp of pain. It's the perfect moment for Spiky to unroll and bolt for the stone wall, where the crack he uses as a hideout is waiting. The fox races after him but stops just short of the wall. The hole is far too small for it. It shoves its snout in, scratches the stones, but it's no use. Spiky is safe.
The fox spends a while longer sniffing every corner of the wall until, huffing with rage, it turns its back and goes. After waiting a bit more, Spiky returns cautiously to his garden.
Now that the garden was once again the peaceful place it always was, he approaches the new thing still sitting there, hidden beneath the dry leaves. With his snout, Spiky pushes the leaves aside until he can see what lies beneath. It's a little wooden house, firm on the ground, with a roof, walls, and an L-shaped entrance. Inside it's dry, warm, and just the right size for a hedgehog. What's more, the bend in the entrance keeps larger animals from poking their snouts or paws inside. Winter is coming, and this is the perfect shelter for his long sleep.
Spiky feels it once more, that very same certainty: he really is the luckiest hedgehog of all.
But how strange… who could have left a little house there, just the right size for a hedgehog?
Probably the person who owns the garden did it! Some people build little wooden houses just for wild hedgehogs. They're built to fit them perfectly, and they help these small friends survive the cold winter.
WHO IS THE HEDGEHOG? A cute, small mammal covered in sharp quills, with a pointy little snout and bright, curious eyes.
WHERE IT LIVES: Gardens, parks and woodlands across Europe.
ITS SIZE: An adult hedgehog is about 20 to 30cm long. It’s small enough to fit in two cupped hands!
WHAT IT EATS: Yummy insects and small creatures: beetles, worms, slugs… A single hedgehog can eat dozens of bugs in just one night.
THE FAMILY: Hedgehogs like to live alone. A mother raises her babies, called hoglets, on her own, and once they grow up, each one goes off to find its own place to explore.
ITS SUPERPOWER: When danger comes near, it curls into a little ball! Its soft belly, face, and legs disappear inside, and only the quills stay out.
HOW LONG IT LIVES? In the wild, a hedgehog usually lives for about three years. Safe and well fed in a friendly garden, some can live until 7 years!
IS IT IN DANGER? Sadly, there are fewer hedgehogs than there used to be. Busy roads, tidy gardens, and fewer insects to eat make life harder. That's why kind people build hedgehog houses, leave water, and keep a little piece of the garden wild for them.
IF YOU EVER MEET ONE: Don't pick it up - a hedgehog loves its freedom, just let it explore. You can leave a small bowl of fresh water nearby if you want.
A FUN FACT: When a hedgehog smells something new and interesting, it does something strange: it licks it, makes a foam in its mouth, and spreads it all over its own quills! Nobody knows exactly why.
SOURCES: National Geographic Mammal Society RSPB
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