Hedgehogs live not only in the forest, but also next to humans. Sometimes they are fed in the hope that the prickly guests will begin to catch mice and protect the area from snakes. The hedgehog evokes sympathy, so it’s hard to even imagine what his stay in the house could lead to. Even for a short time.

How does a hedgehog live?

The hedgehog belongs to the class Mammals, order Insectivores, family Hedgehogs. The ancestors of the hedgehog appeared on Earth a long time ago, many millions of years ago. The most common species in our country is the common hedgehog, which is found in dry forests, on forest edges, in ravines, steppes, in gardens and near human habitation. He is well known in the European part of Russia, Western Siberia and the Far East. The animal has poor eyesight and touch, but an excellent sense of smell and good hearing. In nature, the common hedgehog rarely lives longer than six years. Such hedgehogs are considered long-lived.

Hedgehogs do not like damp places near swamps. They don't like rainy weather either. In summer, the hedgehog hides in root hollows, under snags and in bushes. There he dozes during the day or is half asleep. The hedgehog becomes active during twilight and can navigate perfectly at night. In summer, he needs to eat a lot to accumulate a sufficient layer of fat. Before going to bed, the hedgehog suddenly stops eating. This is necessary so that the intestines can be cleansed. When the air temperature is below +10°C (usually from or beginning), the hedgehog goes into hibernation. Hibernation lasts 127 days. He wakes up in . The skinny hedgehog is very weak. He needs to recover quickly, so the hunt continues around the clock. In the southern regions, hedgehogs often sleep during dry periods.

In the spring, it is mating time for hedgehogs. The friendly family soon falls apart. Before the birth of the offspring, the hedgehog leaves the hedgehog. The cubs (there are often from three to eight) are born blind, white and completely spineless. A mother hedgehog communicates with her babies using sounds reminiscent of whistling. After one and a half to two months, the hedgehogs scatter and begin an independent life.

Hedgehogs are born blind, with sparse, short, initially soft spines. The mother lies and feeds the babies like a cat, turning around, but as soon as you disturb her, the hedgehog will drag the entire brood hundreds of meters, dragging the cubs one at a time (P.A. Manteuffel “Notes of a Naturalist”).

What does a hedgehog eat?

The main food of hedgehogs is plants and animals. The menu includes fruits, roots, seeds, small mammals (for example, newborn hares), amphibians, birds, eggs, slugs, worms, insects and their larvae. Hedgehogs dig up sprouting acorns, feast on raspberries and even ripe melon. The hedgehog happily eats the eggs of black grouse, quail, woodcock and gray partridge. In gardens, it finds and eats garden snails, slugs, caterpillars and other pests.

While spending the night in the lodge after a hunt, I was awakened by the cry of a chicken in the barn. Illuminated by the lantern, she continued to fly into someone. It turned out that the hedgehog, jumping up slightly, stabbed her with his needles. Beneath him lay a chicken with its head bitten off. In the Askania-Nova Nature Reserve in Ukraine, where pheasants lived and bred in complete freedom, they noticed that the number of broods in recent years has become much smaller. Suspicion fell on ordinary hedgehogs. Early in the morning, an observer noticed a pheasant flapping its wings in the Cossack juniper bushes. She fought with a hedgehog, which pushed her off her eggs with its needles. Three eggs turned out to be bitten. Special observations later established that the rare pheasant nest accidentally remained intact. So many of these prickly robbers have accumulated in the park, having migrated there from the vast surrounding steppes. Organized raids of fox terriers, carried out in the evenings, resulted in the capture of over 30 hedgehogs, some taken dead, some alive, who were taken to the steppe tens of kilometers away. After this, the parks of Askania began to quickly fill with pheasants (P.A. Manteuffel “Notes of a Naturalist”).

This animal reacts poorly to sublimate, arsenic and hydrocyanic acid, but strychnine is dangerous to it. The hedgehog is absolutely not afraid of bee stings.

A hedgehog will come to the apiary, stand in front of the hive on its hind legs and, stretching out its sharp muzzle, poop into the tray. Bees do not like the wind, and even less so the spirit of the hedgehog. They fly out of the entrance and pounce on the enemy. The cunning hedgehog hides his face and waits for more bees to land on his thorns. Then he shakes himself off. Bees fall on the grass. Irrigated wings do not lift them into the air. And the hedgehog picks up crawling insects with its tongue. Or suddenly, curled up into a ball, he begins to roll on the grass in order to pin bees on needles and carry them to his nest (I.F. Zayanchkovsky “Enemies of Our Enemies”).

But there is no consensus on how a hedgehog meets snakes. The facts are so contradictory that it is difficult to say in what situations a hedgehog dares to fight with. Brem described in detail the condition of a hedgehog dying from a snake bite. True, the viper bit the hedgehog on the head.

Natural enemies of hedgehogs are foxes, martens, hawks, and large owls. Especially eagle owls, which are not at all afraid of prickly needles. Foxes and dogs often roll a prickly ball to a puddle in order to then calmly eat the straightened hedgehog.

They tell how cunning foxes hunt hedgehogs. The fox quietly rolls the hedgehog curled into a prickly ball from the steep bank into the water, where the hedgehog quickly unfolds and the fox easily deals with it. Some smart dogs do the same with hedgehogs (Sokolov-Mikit ov “Hedgehogs”).

Hedgehog quills

On the hedgehog’s back there is a “coat” of needles, and on its belly there is a coat of fur. Several old needles fall out every day, making room for new ones to grow. S.F. Starikovich writes that the spines of an ordinary hedgehog are no more than 3 cm long. The spines appear smooth in appearance, although they have longitudinal ridges and ridges. The inside of the needles is hollow, which reduces the weight of the prickly “fur coat”. To enhance their strength, internal partitions are provided. The surface of the middle part of the needle is yellowish. Quills not only protect the hedgehog, but also help it climb onto different surfaces. For example, if a hedgehog wants to climb onto the dining table, then he rests his feet on the table leg and his needles on the wall! When falling from a height, the needles soften the blow.

The hedgehog's spines turned out to be a kind of unit of measure. The common hedgehog has a tail and ears as long as its quill. It is interesting that the long-eared hedgehog (which lives further south) has longer not only needles, but also ears.

The circular subcutaneous muscle, which begins at the tendon at the back of the head, allows the hedgehog to easily curl into a ball in any danger. In order for the hedgehog to protect itself (even during sleep), the needles, directed in different directions, instantly stand on end. If you calmly stroke the prickly ball several times in the direction from head to tail, the thickened edges of the annular muscle gradually weaken, after which the needles drop.

Hedgehog in the house

The best place for hedgehogs to live is nature. Of course, it also happens that a poor animal dies under the wheels of cars or when attacked by a predator. The hedgehog feels good in zoo corners, where suitable conditions are created for him. Smoking is prohibited in zoo corners. Hedgehogs tolerate tobacco smoke very poorly, especially if they sleep curled up in a ball. Hedgehogs are very afraid when they ring a bell or... smack their lips.

Most people treat hedgehogs with their funny faces covered with gray hairs with sympathy. The hedgehog is easily and quickly tamed. He squeaks and puffs when he's calm. Rumbles and snorts when irritated. And the hedgehog often gets irritated. The desire to play with him like a kitten ends with the animal falling into a rage. He snorts and angrily attacks the piece of paper tied to a thread.

Hedgehogs soon get used to people and become tame. A whole herd of hedgehogs has bred in a neighboring pioneer camp. Every night they come from the forest to the pioneer canteen and feast on the food that the pioneers leave for them. Where hedgehogs live, there are no mice or rats.

I once had a pet hedgehog. During the day he climbed into the top of a dried old boot, and at night he went out to hunt for prey. I often woke up from the small stomping and noise that the hedgehog made at night. Two or three times I was able to watch him catch mice. With extraordinary speed, the hedgehog rushed at the mouse that appeared in the corner of the room and immediately dealt with it. Frankly, he caused me a lot of anxiety, prevented me from sleeping at night and behaved uncleanly. Despite all the troubles, we became very good friends (Sokolov-Mikit ov “Ezhi”).

Many people are convinced that hedgehogs can be kept in the house like a cat. Unfortunately, their expectations are often not met.

It must also be said that the current opinion about hedgehogs as mouse killers is not shared by all experts. Some argue, not without good reason, that a short-legged fellow cannot catch a normal, healthy mouse. In addition, more than once we saw how a nimble mouse was not afraid to lap up milk from the same saucer with a hedgehog enraged by such impudence (S.F. Starikovich “The Most Common Animals”).

Hedgehogs do not tolerate any sanitation well. No amount of pet shampoo will help here.

Having brought a forest dweller home, many, without even thinking that dangerous insects are hiding among the needles, put the little lodger in a basin and do sanitation with water and washing powder. Such a scrub does little harm to fleas and ticks, but for a hedgehog it is probably sheer torture, a torment of torment. After all, he is afraid of water more than fire! And a good intention turns into torture of the animal (S.F. Starikovich “The Most Common Animals”).

We had to deal with hedgehogs that appeared on the site several times. Once, a teenage hedgehog, picked up on a road, was forced to spend several hours in a bucket, the bottom of which we covered with grass. Until the hedgehog was taken into the forest. During this time, he ate a portion of minced meat several times and drank a little milk. He refused water. We did not notice any signs of friendliness. What was new to everyone was the need to wash the bucket for a very long time in order to remove the heavy spirit that remained after the hedgehog. Our dogs always instantly found hedgehogs by their characteristic smell.

If you still decide to get a hedgehog, then perhaps these recommendations will be useful to you.

The hedgehog can be kept in a cage or in a room, providing it only with material for building a nest: tow, hay, dry leaves. The hedgehog makes a nest somewhere in a secluded corner of the room. The cage must be cleaned daily. In winter, when kept at room temperature, the hedgehog does not hibernate, but becomes more lethargic and often refuses food.

The hedgehog should be fed twice a day, giving it 25 grams of white bread and 100 grams of milk at the first feeding, 75-100 grams of meat with bone meal (1 gram) at the second feeding, and with fish oil (1 gram) in winter. Instead of meat, it is good to give mice, frogs, and insects. The hedgehog also willingly eats eggs, fish, fruits, soups, cereals, etc. The hedgehog should have water at all times.

In captivity, hedgehogs rarely reproduce (“Advice to an amateur naturalist”, edited by Professor P.A. Manteuffel).

(function(w, d, n, s, t) ( w[n] = w[n] || ; w[n].push(function() ( Ya.Context.AdvManager.render(( blockId: "R-A -143469-1", renderTo: "yandex_rtb_R-A-143469-1", async: true )); )); t = d.getElementsByTagName("script"); s = d.createElement("script"); s .type = "text/javascript"; s.src = "//an.yandex.ru/system/context.js"; s.async = true; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); ))(this , this.document, "yandexContextAsyncCallbacks");

During the reign of Louis XIV, the favorite gave him a neckerchief and warned him that if he ever took it off, he would immediately lose his crown. This is how the modern tie arose - an indispensable attribute of business people.
What awaits you in the near future:

Find out what awaits you in the near future.

Signs about hedgehogs

There are surprisingly many superstitions about the most common hedgehogs. Since ancient times, in different countries, the prickly animal has been considered a harbinger of important events (mostly pleasant ones).

For the military, a meeting with him foreshadowed victory over the forces of evil;
Brides and future housewives - a prosperous life;
The merchants had their own sign: a hedgehog crossed the road - things would soon go uphill.

If a hedgehog came into the house, what is it for?

Almost all folk predictions did not arise out of nowhere; there were serious reasons for this, forgotten over time.

Our Slavic ancestors, in particular, had a sign: a hedgehog came into the yard - to protect the household from any harm.

It was explained quite simply: in villages, rats and mice caused many problems (they spoiled food, transmitted diseases). An even greater evil were poisonous snakes that could bite a child. An ordinary forest hedgehog coped with such neighbors without difficulty. So a prickly guest appeared - you can forget about rats and creeping reptiles.

The hedgehog took root in the house - the signs promised the owners the special favor of the brownie. Therefore, they did not offend the kids, they crumbled some bread for them, put a saucer with milk, and severely punished children who tried to offend the little animal. Dried skins with needles were revered as powerful amulets, which were highly valued by people setting off on a long journey. Even a simple drawing at the entrance could drive away illness and misfortune. If the hedgehog came into the house with its offspring, the owner was soon to experience the joy of motherhood.

Why hedgehogs are to blame - signs with a minus sign

However, these prickly, harmless animals were not treated so warmly everywhere. In some countries they were considered almost servants of Satan. It would seem that a hedgehog lives in the garden - it destroys pests, larvae, caterpillars, and rodents. What harm does it do? But the people of the British Isles thought differently. For them, meeting him between the beds served as a harbinger of some terrible catastrophe, which could only be avoided in one way - by killing the hedgehog.

English mothers were convinced: if a hedgehog came into the house after the birth of a child, the woman’s milk would disappear. And an ordinary needle, discovered somewhere on a garden path, turned out to be the cause of collective panic. The superstitious British believed that with its help the sorcerer was able to send the most terrible, deadly

The hero of Russian folk tales and old Soviet cartoons, the good-natured and hard-working hedgehog is simply not capable of scaring. No matter how much it puffs up its needles, the sight of an animal running about its business brings a smile, but not fears for the future. And yet the signs are not so simple. The prickly animal also has its secrets.

Signs about hedgehogs

In Western Europe - especially in England - just a hundred years ago this animal was terribly disliked. The peasants were sure that at night hedgehogs sucked milk from sleeping cows, and therefore considered it their duty to destroy night robbers wherever possible. There was even a sign that prophesied misfortune to anyone who met a hedgehog, and the only way to get the misfortune out of your head was to immediately kill the innocent animal!

Even in Bosnia they treated the thorny forest dwellers without sympathy. There they believed that only the devil could create such a strange creature: he combed unclean hair from the top of his head, threw a hard clump under the block, and the world’s first hedgehog emerged from under it, sniffling.

Things were completely different in the East. In the teachings of Feng Shui, the hedgehog was represented as a mighty warrior, tearing apart the world of eternal darkness with his needles, and his image served as a symbol of kindness, sincerity and disgusting forces.

In Bulgaria, the hedgehog is considered the wisest and most ancient of animals. According to local beliefs, God himself listened to the advice of the prickly animal, arranging a heavenly tent above the earth! Another legend, also known in Macedonia, makes the hedgehog the savior of the world. If at one time the animal had not come up with a cunning move to upset the wedding of the Sun and the Moon, the offspring of the two heavenly bodies would simply have incinerated the Earth.

In the minds of the Slavic peoples, the hedgehog acted as a real protector of the human race. Charms with a prickly hedgehog coat, real or symbolic, saved from the evil eye and damage, dispersed evil spirits, treated illnesses, imparted prosperity, and strengthened the family. And at that time the animal itself was hunting for small pests in the garden or cellar, so getting a tenant covered with needles into your yard was considered a great success. So judge, could a hedgehog be considered a bad omen?

See on your way, crossed the road

It's always nice to meet such a cutie, isn't it?

Let’s immediately forget European signs so as not to offend the cute animal. The hedgehog is a kind and positive creature, and meeting him portends extremely good things.

If you notice an animal on the side of the road, significant changes in your life will not happen. But you can count on small pleasant surprises from fate.
If a hedgehog crossed your path, something interesting is about to happen. Perhaps a period of stagnation has begun in your life, which a prickly passerby decided to stir up. Don't worry, you'll love the changes!
A hedgehog running towards you is considered a truly lucky omen.

Settled in the yard

A hedgehog that has settled in a summer cottage or in the courtyard of a private house is an excellent sign. And protection from bad people, and a living amulet from evil spirits, and an environmentally friendly remedy against pests. Previously, the peasants tried to lure a useful guest to their yard, but he came to you himself! The sign is clearly for good. Try to greet the baby: pour milk into a saucer, break an egg or crumble boiled meat (yes, these prickly balls are real predators!), place it in the grass not far from the hedgehog and sit quietly on the side so as not to scare it. As soon as the arriving animal begins to eat the treat, whisper:

“Hedgehog-hedgehog, drink milk, get your fill as soon as possible, drive away evil spirits, don’t offend us!” It is believed that after this, a guard armed with needles will defend your home and no enemy will be able to get through to it.

Vipers, mice and rats are also under the control of the hedgehog. To keep such animals to a minimum on your property, try the power of another spell: “Run after the rat and the mouse, eat them, save the owner’s supplies!” It should be admitted that the plot somewhat exaggerates the fighting qualities of hedgehogs, and the animals do not so much catch their prey as pick them up from the grass. But sometimes they can actually intercept a small vole and are not afraid of viper venom. So the pests will really start to avoid your area. If only the hedgehog ate and agreed to stay!

It is believed that a person who sees a hedgehog hunting a mouse will soon be used for their own purposes. Thank the animal for the warning and keep your eyes open.

It is better to handle only domesticated animals

It is not recommended to pick up a wild animal again: if you prick your finger on a hedgehog’s skin until it bleeds, you will be slandered out of nowhere. And from a realistic point of view, contact with a needle that is unknown where it has been and what microbes it has picked up does not bode well. Maybe the sign was invented for this purpose, to protect overly curious individuals from health problems?

A piquant detail. If during your naturalistic observations you see an animal relieving itself, the belief promises you great happiness. And don't ask why. The mystery of fate!

Comes to eat at the site

The animal noticed a saucer of milk, which you regularly leave for it, and every evening it comes for dinner, but lives somewhere outside the yard and is not going to “move its things”? In this case, signs advise you to take a closer look at a new acquaintance who may have recently appeared in your environment. Just as a hedgehog can prick someone who carelessly grabs its prickly back, so this person can hurt you. Not necessarily consciously! Don’t rush to refuse him communication, just be careful.

Bring it from the street into the house

Leaving a hedgehog caught in the wild in an apartment is wrong and inhumane: he has his own life, business and, possibly, hedgehogs there, and here you are with your uninvited hospitality! And it’s also reckless, since cute hedgehogs spread rabies, tetanus and ticks no worse than other forest animals. Now, if you buy a domesticated baby at a pet store with all the necessary accessories and food, both problems will be solved at once, and you will have a funny and unusual pet. Your home will only benefit from a mystical perspective! The hedgehog will bravely expose its thorns to meet all possible adversities and will diligently drive them away from its home. Peace and tranquility will come to the apartment.

Watching prickly pets is a real pleasure

The active animal suffers greatly while sitting in its enclosure, so from time to time it will need to be let out for a walk around the apartment. But remember that the hedgehog is a nocturnal animal. If you leave him in the wild in the evening, a light stomp will be heard in the rooms until the morning.

Find a dead, step on or run over a hedgehog

Running over a hedgehog with a car is a bad sign. In the best case, the event predicts serious financial expenses for the killer, in the worst - a hit-and-run. If you are seriously into superstitions and don’t mind delving into a bunch of omens, then you will quickly find the same warning about any downed animal. And their meaning is simple: be careful while driving in the morning and evening, at any time of the day, otherwise one day real trouble will happen! In general, killing a living creature, even if you accidentally stepped on a small hedgehog you met along the way, is undoubtedly a bad omen. Be careful, especially in the forest.
But a hedgehog who lost his life through no fault of yours literally means the following: just as his thorns will no longer harm anyone, so from that moment on your enemies have lost their strength and retreated from you. The place doesn’t really matter: whether he died in a bathhouse or a barn, or maybe outside the threshold of the house. It is difficult to say how true the sign is. But if it inspires you to act more boldly, it will definitely be beneficial.

Neutralization of negative signs

We hope you’re not going to kill innocent animals left and right just because that’s what English farmers once did? And great! It remains to decide what to do if the animal suffered at your hands not intentionally.

If you get into an accident with a hedgehog, take a short break. Let the car sit in the garage for a couple of days, and you will calm down. After this, take your vehicle to a car wash to remove any remaining negativity, and forget about what happened. Just try to behave more responsibly on the road in the future, it’s in your own interests.

There is no better remedy for a hedgehog prick than running water and an antiseptic. We wash away the fear of being caught by unknown slanderers with water, and use an antiseptic to destroy a possible infection. Perfectionists and particularly anxious individuals are not prevented from observing the wound for several days to make sure that it does not fester or become inflamed. And you will be happy!

It is absurd and funny to be afraid of a hedgehog. Wherever you meet an amusingly snorting baby, follow him with your gaze and wish him a happy journey. Your own path will only benefit from this, because it is easier to walk with a light soul.

Since ancient times, the hedgehog has been treated with great respect and love, since this animal is essentially harmless and very cute. In addition, our ancestors believed that a hedgehog could protect from thieves, from evil spirits, and also bring prosperity to the house, because with the appearance of a hedgehog, mice would disappear from the house and snakes from the yard. Accordingly, pets will be fine, as well as cereals in the bins.

Signs about a hedgehog

It should be noted that the appearance of a hedgehog in the house must be voluntary, because in captivity it cannot become a family mascot and, therefore, lead to well-being. Also, you should not lure a hedgehog into the house on purpose, for example, with the help of the same saucer of milk, since the animal must come into it on its own, of its own free will. Only in this case, all the signs that are associated with this cute animal will come true.

You also need to know that the hedgehog does not go into the first house he comes across, but chooses the one in which the owners will greet him warmly. In return, he will not only deliver from mice and vipers, but also protect from evil thoughts and envy of enemies, and also ward off evil spirits.

The appearance of a hedgehog in the house is usually associated with material wealth and well-being. Therefore, if a hedgehog wanders into the house, you cannot kick it out, but it is best to treat it with the same milk or raw egg, which, by the way, hedgehogs love. Even if he doesn’t stay long, he will make his contribution to the future increase in finances.

As a rule, a hedgehog can wander into the house with the onset of cold weather, because he also wants to warm up and also profit from something tasty. For the owners, such a visit from the animal will promise the arrival of a new tenant, who will be very dear and loved by everyone living in the house, and in the future the next year will be well-fed and happy for the family.

Also, the appearance of a hedgehog in the house will mean dramatic changes in the future, since this cute animal is a symbol of renewal and happiness. Accordingly, after his visit, you can safely start a new project or get a job, create a new family and wait for the appearance of heirs in the future.

The appearance of a hedgehog in a house may not always be associated with the residents themselves, because like any animal, this animal is well aware of changes in the weather. That is why some view the appearance of a hedgehog in the house in a completely different way. In particular, they say that the hedgehog comes on the eve of rain, which will be rainy and will water the whole earth to its full. They also say that a hedgehog comes to a warm house before the onset of cold weather, because in this way he is looking for a warm and cozy place for the winter.

Magic signs: what does meeting animals mean?

When determining the meaning of a particular sign associated with animals, insects, fish, etc., the reader must remember that it is absurd to expect any kind of prediction in an area where they are widespread. Attaching importance to meeting an animal where it is very common is simply stupid. Another site where you can read about the meaning of animal encounters.

Donkey- Meeting a donkey is unlucky, especially if the animal is coming towards you.

Bat- Hear a bat squeak or scream while flying - expect failure.

Cat- It is widely believed that a black cat brings good luck, although some claim the opposite. Killing a cat means incurring serious trouble (in ancient Egypt this was considered a crime and was punishable by death); stepping on her tail is also not good. If a cat suddenly leaves the house in which it lives, then its inhabitants should expect misfortunes.

Dog- If a dog howls at the moon or outside the house, then this foretells death somewhere in the neighborhood. In the East, a black dog is considered the embodiment of the devil, and students of classical literature will certainly recall a passage from Horace in which he says that a black dog with puppies was a bad omen. Some people believe that killing a dog is as bad as killing a cat.

Ferret- Meeting a ferret means ensuring success in your planned enterprise.

Goat- A lucky sign foretelling prosperity and acquisitions.

Hare- In general, this animal is considered unfavorable; At one time it was even believed that witches were hiding in the bodies of hares. If a hare crosses your path, it is unlucky and disappointing. If a hare runs past a house in the countryside, then you need to beware of fire. In some countries, the prejudice against hares is so great that messengers with important messages even turned back after accidentally meeting a hare on the road, because they were sure that they would not be able to complete the order.

Hedgehog is a happy animal. Meeting a hedgehog is good news, especially if he meets you halfway.

Horse- Meeting a pinto horse is fortunate, especially for the player, but if the tail first catches your eye, then someone dear to you will have a hard time. If lovers meet a white horse, then they can hope for happiness.

Lamb- Meeting one lamb means a calm life, happiness and love.

Mouse- If you are given a white mouse, then this is a sign of success and happiness in love, unless the giver is unaware of the meaning of his gift. A brown or reddish mouse is also favorable, although not to the same extent; but the gray mouse portends misfortune and danger.

Mule- An unlucky animal, meaning financial losses and betrayal of business partners.

Bull- A chance meeting with a bull on the road promises prosperity and the acquisition of money.

Pig- A pig is a very unlucky animal, and meeting one by chance means providing yourself with cause for concern. If a wedding procession encounters a lost pig on the way home, then the newlyweds' life together will be difficult.

Rat- One of the animals that the Roman augurs attached importance to.

White rat- a favorable sign, but black has a bad meaning. Damage caused by rats indicates misfortune for those in whose home they live. Roman historians talk about how rats decided the outcome of battles by gnawing the shields of warriors. If your personal belongings have been chewed by rats, then postpone all planned activities.

Sheep- Meeting a herd of sheep unexpectedly is a good sign, especially if they are heading towards you.

Squirrel- Meeting a squirrel is lucky.

Weasel- Seeing affection means family disagreements and worries.