Natural History

The hedgehog is a shy creature that starts its life as a small cone. Speedily developing into its adult form, it matures amongst the leaves until dropping to the forest floor in autumn. Here it can often be found hibernating well camouflaged amongst the leaves. Gardeners should always check before starting a bonfire in case one of these shy and endearing creatures has climbed into a woodpile. Hedgehogs that survive immolation in autumn can be seen in Spring, rollerskating along the motorway.