Hedgehogs And Strawberries Of Sierra Morena
- Date: 2010-07-10 - Word Count: 404
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In the luscious, fertile Spanish region of Sierra Morena strawberries are abundant, and are a particular favorite of the hedgehog who, as legend has it, enjoy collecting the fruit on their spines. Another legend has it that the hedgehog also collects apples in this fashion.
Various other accounts of the alleged habit could be given, but it may fairly be asked, assuming the truth of the story, why should a hedgehog go to the trouble of transporting food in the way described? Why does it not eat the fruit on the spot? There are two possible answers to this question.
First, there is some evidence that hedgehogs store food before they hibernate. This would seem to make sense, and there is much evidence to support the theory.. For example, "The King of the Norfolk Poachers," writing out of a wealth of experience of our animal life, says in that enchanting book I Walked by Night: "If put to the test [the hedgehog] is a vegetarian as well, and will even eat crab apples, when he can find them. I have dug out half a peck of crabbs from rabbit burries and other holes were he have laid them up for the winter."
The second answer, also supported by factual evidence, and some logic, is that it is likely that the hedgehog transports the fruit to feed its young. It may be remembered that, unlike most British mammals, the hedgehog produces litters' in the autumn, when, of course, apples are most abundant.
Such then, briefly, is the evidence for accepting the ancient hedgehog and fruit legend. If the photographs that exist allegedly illustrating this act are accepted as genuine, then there must be a strong case for accepting the legend, as a very interesting piece of authentic natural history.
In the words of the author Miller Christy himself-words that have considerable significance: "Are we not apt, in these highly-scientific days, to become too contemptuously skeptical in regard to all ancient legends of the kind, and to forget that, however absurdly improbable they may appear at first sight, not a few of them have been shown to have some genuine basis in fact-often slight, but sufficient to substantiate and justify them. In all such cases, a cautious skepticism should be, of course, maintained up to a certain. point; but as Prof. Huxley said many years ago: "I have always felt horror of limiting the possibilities of things".
Various other accounts of the alleged habit could be given, but it may fairly be asked, assuming the truth of the story, why should a hedgehog go to the trouble of transporting food in the way described? Why does it not eat the fruit on the spot? There are two possible answers to this question.
First, there is some evidence that hedgehogs store food before they hibernate. This would seem to make sense, and there is much evidence to support the theory.. For example, "The King of the Norfolk Poachers," writing out of a wealth of experience of our animal life, says in that enchanting book I Walked by Night: "If put to the test [the hedgehog] is a vegetarian as well, and will even eat crab apples, when he can find them. I have dug out half a peck of crabbs from rabbit burries and other holes were he have laid them up for the winter."
The second answer, also supported by factual evidence, and some logic, is that it is likely that the hedgehog transports the fruit to feed its young. It may be remembered that, unlike most British mammals, the hedgehog produces litters' in the autumn, when, of course, apples are most abundant.
Such then, briefly, is the evidence for accepting the ancient hedgehog and fruit legend. If the photographs that exist allegedly illustrating this act are accepted as genuine, then there must be a strong case for accepting the legend, as a very interesting piece of authentic natural history.
In the words of the author Miller Christy himself-words that have considerable significance: "Are we not apt, in these highly-scientific days, to become too contemptuously skeptical in regard to all ancient legends of the kind, and to forget that, however absurdly improbable they may appear at first sight, not a few of them have been shown to have some genuine basis in fact-often slight, but sufficient to substantiate and justify them. In all such cases, a cautious skepticism should be, of course, maintained up to a certain. point; but as Prof. Huxley said many years ago: "I have always felt horror of limiting the possibilities of things".
Related Tags: fruit, crab, apples, hedgehog
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