Daisy the Hedgehog!

We have a guest for spring break - a hedgehog named Daisy!

She belongs to a cute young girl in our church congregation who is on vacation with her family so we get to take care of little Daisy.  She is certainly an easy pet but not a particularly cuddly one.  The first couple of times I tried to pick her up it was like picking up a little ball of spikes.  Last night she seemed a lot more relaxed with me and wasn't as prickly!  She licked and nibbled my hand.  I'm not sure if that is affection or aggression but it doesn't hurt.  She eats crushed up cat food and dried mealy worms....not my fingers!

A few African Hedgehog facts:

The African pygmy hedgehog is a curious creature that is native to Africa but can be found in zoos (and home) around the globe.  Weighing in at around 1 - 1.5 pounds, this tiny little critter usually averages from 6-8 inches in length and has a pointed snout, round, (dark) eyes, and unbarred spines that serve as hair on their sides and backs.  Oddly enough, they have four toes on their back feet but five on the front.  While this hedgehog has relatively keen eyesight, they depend more on their acute and overdeveloped sense of hearing and smell to detect tasty morsels for dinner that can be buried more than 2 inches below the ground.  (After reading that I wondered if I smelled like a 'tasty morsel'!)

African pygmy hedgehogs are nocturnal creatures that begin foraging at dusk and continue to do so through most of the night, but always in a solitary fashion.  Like most other hedgehogs they can roll into a ball, tucking their head, feet and belly securely inside if  frightened.  And when a hedgehog does become scared or angry, it can chirp, hiss and growl, or if really mad, let out a loud scream!  (So far no sounds from Miss Dairy...at least I know I'm not making her really mad or really scared!)