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A hedgehog is a mammal. They are easily recognized by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous. Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal. They sleep for a large portion of the day, generally under cover of bushes or in holes in the ground. Depending on the species, the gestation period is 35-58 days. The average litter is 4 or 5 newborn. A single hedgehog can keep an average garden free of pests by eating up to 200 grams of insects each night. They eat also frogs and toads, small snakes, bird eggs, carrion and some fruit. Romany people eat hedgehog meat. They believe it has medicinal value, especially the blood and the fat. During the 1980s, hedgehog-flavor crisps were introduced in Britain.