Hedgehogs are weird and wonderful creatures, and despite their prickly appearance, they actually make great pets. However, while many people keep these animals in their homes, few people seem to know much about them.

That’s unfair to these sweet little critters, so we decided that it’s high time that they had their moment in the sun. Here, we assembled 35 different weird and wacky facts about everyone’s favorite spiny creature.

The 35 Hedgehog Facts

The 10 Facts About the Hedgehog’s Background

1. Contrary to popular belief, hedgehogs are not rodents.

This myth likely started because they’re so often confused for porcupines, which are rodents. However, hedgehogs and porcupines aren’t related at all, as hedgehogs are actually members of the mammal order Eulipotyphla. This makes them closer to shrews, which also look like rodents.

2. They’re called “hedgehogs” because they tend to build their nests in bushes or other areas of dense vegetation—like hedges.

They also make adorable little grunting sounds like pigs, so hedge + hog = hedgehog!

3. They are only native to four continents, as there aren’t any species that are native to Australia or North and South America.

There used to be a species native to North America, but it’s extinct. However, hedgehogs are so popular as pets that they can be found almost anywhere nowadays—just keep them secure in their habitats, please.

4. There are at least 15 different species of hedgehog in the world.

Three are found in Eurasia, four are native to Africa, two are located on the steppes, and there are six different desert hedgehogs. When it comes to the typical species that are kept as pets, we’re usually talking about European or African pygmy hedgehogs.

5. Hedgehogs haven’t always been kept as pets; in fact, they used to be kept as snack packs.

People would hunt the hedgehog, then roll their bodies in clay and bake them in a fire. After cooking them, they’d peel the clay off, taking the spines and hair with it. We recommend just keeping one as a pet, though.

6. It was long believed that hedgehogs were dangerous pests.

The thinking was that they would steal milk from cows in the middle of the night. Why people thought this is a mystery, but it’s quite a ridiculous thing to think, beyond the question of just how, exactly, a hedgehog would be able to reach and attach themselves to an udder.

7. In certain cultures, especially ones in the Middle East, hedgehog meat is believed to have medicinal properties.

It’s thought that eating hedgehogs can cure everything from tuberculosis to impotence, and in Morocco, some people think that inhaling smoke off burnt hedgehog skin can reduce fevers and cure urinary tract infections.

8. The ancient Persians had a completely different view of hedgehogs.

They considered them sacred to the god Ahura Mazda, on account of their penchant for eating crop-destroying pests.

9. Owning a hedgehog is illegal in many places.

This includes Hawaii, Pennsylvania, California, and Georgia, although keeping one as a pet is largely okay throughout Europe. In some places, you can own one, but only if you obtain a special permit.

10. One of the great things about hedgehog ownership is that being allergic to them is practically unheard of.

Some people get a little pinprick-looking rash on their skin after handling a hedgehog and mistakenly think that it’s a rash, but it’s more likely due to handling an animal covered in pointy spines. However, it is possible to be allergic to hedgehog food or their bedding, so if you’ve started sneezing more since you brought a hedgehog home, that should be where you focus your attention.