Darwin is beside himself with mirth after this unlucky suitor failed to find his love by searching a hole in a tree.  It’s a good thing, Darwin notes, that his genomes weren’t involved in the search.  That effort would have, indeed, redefined ‘prickly’.

Natural selection deems that some individuals serve as a warning to others. Who are we to disagree? The next generation, ever and anon, is descended from the survivors