Hedgehog and Viper.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 68

Hedgehog and Viper.

The hedgehog of Southern Europe is an inveterate enemy of the vipers which abound 1 in the forests there. A forest guard not long ago had an opportunity to watolr an interesting combat between one of the hedgehogs and a viper. Seeing a particularly largo snake asleep in the sun, the guard was approaching to kill it, when he saw p. hedgehog creeping up upon the reptile over the soft moss. As soon as the hedgehog had got within reach of the viper, it seized the reptile's tail with its teeth, and, quicker than thought, rolled itself- up into a ball. By the- time the vipsr had awakened, it found nothing but a ball of sharp quills to fight against. It struck viciously at the mass, but without touching the nedgehog's skin. Then the snake dragged its body to its full length without escape; it writhed and turned, and then thrust itself again and again upon its enemy. At the end of five minutes the snake was pierced and bleeding in sevcral^places. It fell exhausted to the ground, and after several throes and renewed attempts at resistance it fell dead. When it was satisfied that the viper was quite dead, the hedgehog quietly unrolled itself, and would undoubtedly have made a meal upon the snake if the .guard had not approached. The hedgehog, seeing him, rolled itself up into a ball again, and remaiped thus un£il he had disappeared through the woods. The' animal had not killed tha snake, but had compelled it to kill itself upon the sharp qmlls.