What a great day to celebrate!
Hedgehogs are so cute and vulnerable that you just want to protect them. Some people are so lucky to have them visit their gardens, but although we live in the middle of fields, we, unfortunately, rarely see hedgehogs. 

National Hedgehog Day goes right back to the Romans and preceded the modern Groundhog Day. Groundhogs are native to North America, but Europe has used many animals to predict the end of winter and the coming of Spring, including the hedgehog. 

The ancient Roman Tradition passed down in folklore is that if a hedgehog was seen at the beginning of February, good weather would follow, but if not, winter would continue for a while. They do hibernate but, in warmer weather, will appear to change nesting sites. 

Hedgehogs are on the endangered list, and here are a few things you can do to protect them. Remember they are the gardener’s best friend.

Always check for them before mowing your lawn and allow an escape route from your pond or water feature, as they often get stuck and could drown. Check bonfires before lighting them, as these are another popular hiding place for hedgehogs, and take care with netting or wire, as they can easily get tangled!

Every hedgehog has a range of up to 30 hectares, so hedgehog highways are especially important in urban areas—creating gaps through or tunnels under fences between your garden and your neighbours’ will ensure that hedgehogs can roam far and wide for food safely and avoid the roads.

Growing a wide range of plants will increase the insect population in your garden, offering up a delicious feast for any passing hedgehog.

And you can even encourage them to settle in your garden, either by piling up some logs and leaves for a cosy nest or by building a small hedgehog home—you’ll find plenty of great instructions for these online! Or you can buy them ready-made in most pet stores or online.

Some facts about these lovely creatures. :

• There are 14 species of hedgehog around the world. Largely concentrated in Europe, Africa, and Asia, these nocturnal and solitary creatures are most commonly found in green spaces such as gardens, woods, and parks – of course, hedges are a particularly popular haunt for these mammals, which, combined with their small snouts and piglike snuffling, is where they got their name!

• Hedgehogs are covered in spines. These spines are actually hollow hairs stiffened by keratin. Hedgehogs use their many spines (around 5,000 when fully grown!) as a defence mechanism when under threat by rolling into a tight ball so that all the spikes point outwards.

• Hedgehogs rely heavily on their sense of smell. They can detect food under an inch of soil and can often sense the presence of danger.

• They’re omnivores, best known for snacking on creepy crawlies such as earthworms, slugs, and caterpillars, but they also eat delicacies such as mushrooms, berries, small frogs, and bird eggs. They tend to search for food at night and can travel a distance of 2-3 km.

• Hedgehogs self-anoint. This seems to be connected with irregular smells or tastes, making them create large quantities of frothy saliva, which they then flick over their spines with their tongue (please do not disturb a hedgehog in the middle of this process; it’s like catching someone in the shower).

• Baby hedgehogs are called hoglets. Hoglet litters are born in late spring/early summer and the young spend around a month in their parents’ nest before setting off into the big wide world.

So today, post all things hedgehog-related, and if you are lucky enough to have one in your garden, please feed it, and not with bread and milk or mealworms. Wet cat or dog food or cat biscuits are great and leave water out, too, or you can buy dedicated hedgehog food. If you should find one in distress, please phone a local vet or hedgehog rescue centre and let’s make sure these lovely creatures don’t become extinct.