Hedgehogs are a species of wild pack animals that are known to prey on snails, like Bessie.
Appearance
The hedgehogs bear a resemblance similar to their Earth counterparts, but with more aggressive behavior, offensive features, and act like a pack of wolves. They have a pair of glowing orange eyes and a canine-like snout lined with sharp teeth. They also have the ability to roll into a spiky ball in order to chase after their prey. A hedgehog's fur and quill color can range from earthly brown to muted blue.
Background
In "Anne Theft Auto", while reading the instruction book on how to drive Bessie, Anne notices Bessie hiding in her shell and reads that this means a predator is near and about to take advantage of the snail. Anne then consults a chapter for information on this type of predator and learns that it is a hedgehog, of which many are nearby and surrounding Bessie. Despite originally dismissing the hedgehogs as cute and harmless, Anne makes a run for it once they try to eat Bessie. They manage to escape the hedgehogs after Anne feeds Bessie some berries from the secret compartment in the front of her shell, which causes her to produce pink slime that speeds her up much faster and traps the hedgehogs.
Trivia
- They're very vicious and often go through dangerous extremes to get a meal, suggesting they aren't very intelligent.
- They usually search for food in a pack.
- The blue coloring of a hedgehog and its ability to roll into a spiky ball are references to the SEGA video game character Sonic the Hedgehog.