I'm sure you've all been on the edge of your seats, wondering whether or not I've held a hedgehog or not.

Well, no. I haven't.

First, there was the attack of conscience. I realized that probably, the hedgehog wouldn't like it if I picked it up. They curl into a ball because they feel threatened.

I had been very excited about the hedgehog holding, and I kept asking everyone I know about it, whether they've ever held one or not. My friend Jeff's kid, when I asked him, said "No, I don't think they would be very happy if you picked them up."

There's nothing like getting guilt-tripped by a twelve year-old.

Still, I hadn't ruled out the possibility of holding one.

Then, another friend told me that when he was little, he was told he couldn't touch hedgehogs because they are often infested with lice, ticks, and all kinds of parasites.

This got my attention. Knowing my luck, I'd get a freaking tapeworm or something. The last thing I need is another mouth to feed right now.

So, that's the story of why I probably will not be holding a hedgehog any time soon. Also, since the little buggers are nocturnal, they're difficult to photograph. I've had requests for hedgehog pictures, however, so here are a couple:

(Just pretend I took them myself, and I'm the one holding the hedgehog in the second picture)

Pretty darn cute, aren't they?