Why do hedgehogs produce saliva and spread it over themselves?

Hedgehogs do not produce saliva and spread it over themselves. This behavior is commonly observed in the self-anointing behavior of a small number of hedgehog species found in Europe and Central Asia. They typically apply substances like saliva, urine, dirt, and plants with a strong odor onto their quills as part of a scent-marking, defense, and anti-parasite behavior rather than producing or covering itself with only its own saliva. In contrast, many other hedgehog species across the globe do not practice self-anointing.