This morning’s random object was this adorable hedgehog. There’s a hedgehog lesson plan below.
Sketch & Coffee, Live! is streamed daily at 5:30am, Texas Time, at the YouTubes
This particular hedgehog was not the speedy blue one, but a loaf-of-bread-sized, spiky garden guest that’s been around for 15 million years. And let me tell you, that is a very long time to stay in a garden. I covered their shrew relatives, insect-eating habits, and the fact that some folks see them as pests while others see them as pest control. I’m firmly on Team Hedgehog: you’re welcome into to my garden to help control the bugs.
We got into their worldwide spread with about 17 to 19 species across Eurasia and Africa, and New Zealand getting theirs courtesy of escaped pets. We talked folklore too: in Europe, they’ve long been considered helpful, clever, and even weather predictors. German settlers brought that tradition to America, swapping in the groundhog because… well, no hedgehogs here.
Hedgehogs are a bit more polite than porcupines: hedgehog quills don’t hook and tear, they just poke hard enough to say “back off.” On top of that, they’ve got resistance to certain snake venoms, so add “tough little bug-eater” to the resume.
Pop culture hasn’t ignored them either. From Lewis Carroll’s croquet balls in Alice in Wonderland to Beatrix Potter’s laundry-doing Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, and of course Sonic the Hedgehog racing through video game history since 1991, they’ve been charming audiences for centuries. Between their real-world garden skills and their storybook star power, hedgehogs have earned their place as one of nature’s friendliest-looking little bruisers.
Click here to watch the this episode of Sketch & Coffee, Live!
Also, if you are a teacher friend are in need of a 20-30 minute lesson plan about hedgehogs, feel free to download this one:
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