There are seventeen species of hedgehog across Europe, Asia, Africa, and there are no hedgehogs native to Australia or the Americas. They have to worry about predatory birds, especially owls, who like them for lunch! Though, hedgehogs are mostly immune to snake venom.

In the wild, hedgehogs are omnivorous and enjoy munching on berries, snails, melons, mushrooms, insects, bird eggs, snakes, frogs and toads. The hedgehog’s protective tendency to curl into a ball of spines that impressed the ancient Greek philosopher, Archilochos. He famously remarked, “The fox knows many tricks; the hedgehog, one good one.”