Then the critters start to talk, and the spell is broken.

In a chapter on hedgehogs, Rundell writes of how these “delicate, erudite-looking” critters are threatened by something seemingly benign: the popular Guy Fawkes Day bonfires in England.

Then there are the changes that feel closer to a Cronenbergian freakout: curiously dense new tufts of back hair, slightly sharper teeth, a body count of dead critters each morning on the doorstep.

The Florida version is also a tad longer, which results in some lengthier interstitial scenes without critters.

Working quickly was essential, as these tiny critters can leap several times their body length in the blink of an eye.