National Hedgehog Day 2021: 6 Fascinating Facts About The Furry Balls Of Joy

National hedgehog day falls on Feb. 2 every year to celebrate the massively popular cute balls of joy. Hedgehogs exude charm and therefore are people’s favorite. The spiky little mammals are surely an antidote to anxiety.

Many unknown and fascinating facts about them make them even more irresistible. We'll look into them in more detail below.

The significance of the national hedgehog day

Hedgehogs make a typical gesture when they sense that winter is coming -- they come out of their den and see their shadow. This is why Romans celebrated the day thousands of years ago as Groundhog Day when they used hedgehog as a weather forecast. Taking a cue from the Romans, the day is celebrated as the national hedgehog day in modern times.

Here are some facts about hedgehogs: (Courtesy: mentalfloss.com)

Hedgehogs display emotions
Hedgehogs display similar emotions as human beings, such as happiness, shyness, calmness, and even sadness. If you ever have a hedgehog for a pet, it will definitely let you know how it feels.

Hedgehogs like their own company
Hedgehogs are best when they are left alone. In case you have a pet, observe it while leaving it undisturbed, and you'd see that it will be the happiest than ever. They are solitary creatures that don’t demand the constant attention of their owners.

There are 17 different species of hedgehogs
Native to Australia, hedgehogs are available in 17 different species. The creatures are mostly found in parts of Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and Africa.

The hedgehog spikes aren’t poisonous
Unlike porcupine quills, the spikes of hedgehogs aren’t barbed and poisonous. The inside of the quills is hollow, with some air chambers that make them light yet strong.

They aren’t affected by snake venom
The hedgehogs normally feed off insects and berries, but they can also overpower a viper if a fight breaks out between them and eats it. Even after devouring a venomous snake, the hedgehog will remain unaffected because they are immune to snake venom.

Sea urchins are named after hedgehogs
Before these cute little animals were christened hedgehogs, they were called "urchin" in the middle ages. Considering the identical appearance of sea urchins with hedgehogs, the spiny animals were named so.