The crickets and earthworms can be reliably informed that, given the advancing cold, the hedgehogs have gone to sleep. They can now chirp and chew in peace.
If this story was being written by Beatrix Potter or JRR Tolkien, it might include a ceremony of attendant elves presided over by the queen of fairies, leading hedgehogs to their big sleep and wishing them well over the fast.
But it isn't, so it's up to me to announce that across southern Africa hedgehogs have turned in for the winter and will emerge around August, thinner, hungry and ready to rumble. They've been doing that every winter for 15 million years.
Perhaps because they're secretive night walkers, I've never seen a hedgehog. But hoping for a meeting when they emerge, I've been doing some homework.
They're insectivores and particularly like crickets and earthworms, but will make do with snails, mushrooms and...um...snakes. Yep, you heard right, they seem immune to their venom. Their quills are also longer than the fangs of most snakes, so if one strikes it gets a head full of spikes. It could end up as lunch.
They're mostly silent but snort when courting. If disturbed they roll into a ball then, after a while, peep out to see if the coast is clear. Most of the winter they're fast asleep, hibernating until spring warms them up....
