While most of us are familiar with February 2nd being the day we use a groundhog to determine whether spring or winter weather is ahead, there’s another holiday celebrated the same day. National Hedgehog Day!
According to MentalFloss.com, there are 17 different species of hedgehogs. But, none of them are native to America. Which might explain why we are celebrating groundhogs on the 2nd, here in the States, rather than hedgehogs!
It turns out that when German settlers arrived in America and couldn’t find any hedgehogs, they turned to a similar animal - the groundhog - to use as their winter weather predictor.
And while the popularity of these tiny creatures has blossomed, there are still some states where you cannot legally own them as pets. States like Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania still categorize them as wild animals, making them illegal to possess as pets.
Let me give you a couple more interesting tidbits before closing.
Did you know that the hedgehog got its name from one of its favorite locations? Apparently, these little guys have a taste for insects that made them particularly popular in English garden. Their preference for spending time among the hedges coupled with the pig-like grunts they make earned them the name.
Hedgehogs can hibernate but not all of them do. Their poor eyesight is most effective in the dark which suits them since they are nocturnal by nature. And don’t expect to run into an “array” of them (that’s the name for a gathering of hedgehogs). They are solitary animals that don’t typically spend time with others of their species (unless it’s time for romance).
You can take a look at the entire list by going to the following website:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56004/16-fun-facts-about-hedgehogs
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