There are apparently moves to make the Hedgehog (Erinaceous europaea) Britain's national beast (http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/environment/wildlife/article4609482.ece). I suppose it does have some of our national characteristics (small, prickly and given to inadvisably archaic behaviour under changed circumstances?). Having said that, there is something a bit dodgy about adopting a mammal that is reportedly in such a dramatic decline as the front runner. Hedgehogs don't do well around roads, in gardens where slug pellets, where gardens are converted into hard-standing for car parking, in competition with some of our pets et cetra. So they might be being adopted by their greatest challenge (I suppose it could make us more understanding of their plight).
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