Hedgehogs are unusual animals that are easily recognized by the dense layer of spines on their backs. Living over vast areas, they play an important role in the ecosystems of forests and plains. The animal has many features that attract the attention of biologists and are studied with great interest. He also regularly becomes the protagonist of cartoons and other creative works. There is now a large amount of information about hedgehogs, so anyone can get a detailed understanding of them.
Origin of the species and description
Most hedgehogs have a black nose that is always wet.
It is believed that hedgehogs appeared about 60 million years ago - this is exactly the age of the oldest discovered remains.
They adapted well to the surrounding world and quite quickly divided into several families. However, 33-23 million years ago, all but one ceased to exist for unknown reasons. The species now living on the planet belong to the surviving family Erinaceidae. Interesting fact : three main types of hedgehogs live in Russia: steppe, Eurasian and long-eared.
Hedgehogs are mammals and belong to the order of insectivores. The most common is the European one, which also has a second name – “ordinary”. The animal has common ancestors with moles and shrews. But the hedgehog has no relationship with the porcupine, whose back is also covered with quills .
Appearance and features
All types of hedgehogs are characterized by spines located on their backs. In adult individuals their number can reach up to six thousand, in young individuals - no more than three. The body length ranges from 25 to 35 cm, and the weight does not exceed 800 g. The tail grows up to 4 cm.
The animal's head is elongated, at the end there is a black nose, which always shines due to the moisture accumulating on it. The black eyes are set high, and round ears are visible above them.
A hedgehog's eyes look like black beads
Interesting fact : in the mouth of a hedgehog there are 36 teeth, with 20 located on top and 16 on the bottom. This distribution is necessary so that pairs of incisors growing on both jaws do not interfere with each other and do not disrupt the bite.
The paws have five toes equipped with claws; the forelimbs are shorter than the hind limbs. The back is covered with needles, their length is 3-4 cm. Inside they are hollow and filled with air. Their color contains white and brown areas, which is why the top of the animal looks heterogeneous in terms of color. The hedgehog also has fur: they grow between the needles, but in small quantities, so you can only see them close up.
The head and belly of the animal are covered with hair. It can be gray, brown and yellow-white.
Listen to the hedgehog's voice
Hedgehogs have good hearing, but their vision is poor. However, this is compensated by the fact that sensitive vibrissae are located on the sharp elongated muzzle closer to the nose. Thanks to them, hedgehogs have an excellent sense of smell.
Hedgehog spines are modified hair, but unlike fur, they never change. Only small hedgehogs or sick animals can lose spines.
Of course, the most interesting thing about hedgehogs is their spines, which never fall out. They are modified hairs and cover not only the back, but also the sides and forehead. The most unprotected place is the belly, because the fur on it is soft. Almost all species are gray or brown, only the spines at the tips are white. It is very rare to see hedgehogs that are completely white.
The long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) is a typical desert inhabitant
The hedgehog can curl up into a ball in times of danger. In this he is helped by the circular muscles located in the places where the spines grow.
Habitat - where hedgehogs live
Habitat of hedgehogs
The hedgehog has a fairly large habitat. The animal species live in Europe, Asia and Africa. Also, the found remains indicate that they once inhabited North America, but due to unfavorable conditions, local populations ceased to exist.
As mentioned above, the most common species is the common hedgehog. It is found in most European countries, the British Isles, and also in Kazakhstan. In Russia, it lives in the northwestern part and in Siberia. Relatively recently, the common hedgehog was artificially brought to New Zealand, where it quickly adapted and began to increase its population.
The animal prefers to live in forests and in areas where there are a large number of trees nearby. But it can also be found in plains, near bodies of water and on land overgrown with bushes.
Hedgehog in his hole
Interesting fact : hedgehogs do not live near swamps or in coniferous forests. But they meet regularly in cities.
Hedgehogs have their own den, which they build at the roots of a tree, in bushes or holes. If necessary, the animal is able to dig a hole, but it is always shallow in depth and does not contain forks.
Interesting Facts
How long do hedgehogs live?
In the wild, hedgehogs live no more than 5 years . A three-year-old individual can already be considered an adult. But in captivity, life expectancy increases to 8-10 years . Since in this case a person takes care of the animal, he does not need to regularly get his own food and think about how not to fall into the clutches of a predator. And since the hedgehog’s body is not subjected to significant stress, it lives several times longer.
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What do hedgehogs eat?
Hedgehogs are omnivores. They are able to eat both vegetation and meat. But most of their diet consists of various insects. Caterpillars, larvae, slugs, earwigs, worms, beetles, spiders - all these living creatures are quickly caught by the animal and eaten.
Despite their cute appearance, hedgehogs are able to cope with fairly large creatures. When necessary, they eat frogs, lizards and toads. And sometimes they penetrate bird nests, where they attack newborn chicks and eat the contents of the eggs. Hedgehogs also attack mice, but since rodents are quite agile and can run quickly, such collisions rarely occur. In addition to living creatures, hedgehogs also love vegetation. The animal is unlikely to pass by berries and fruits and will not deny itself the pleasure of trying them.
The hedgehog happily eats nuts and other fruits
Different species have different diets. For example, the New Zealand hedgehog prefers mainly plant food, but the ordinary one primarily looks for insects. Snakes can also become food for this animal. The poison in the cold-blooded fangs does not affect him. It is also unable to break through thorns. Thus, the hedgehog rushes at the snake without fear and wins if it does not decide to crawl away.
Due to its lifestyle, the animal is very voracious. Coming out of hibernation in the spring, it eats away to gain weight. And closer to autumn, he again begins to eat intensively to gain weight before the cold weather.
Contrary to popular belief, hedgehogs should not be given milk. They do not tolerate lactose well, but people often pour it into their pets.
What do hedgehogs eat?
The common hedgehog is an insectivorous animal. But the hedgehog's diet is not limited to insects. Hedgehogs mainly feed on a wide variety of insects, caterpillars, beetles, slugs, earthworms and also mice. It is quite rare for hedgehogs to get mice and voles.
Hedgehogs also eat eggs or chicks of small birds that make nests on the ground. Sometimes in nature, hedgehogs feed on reptiles and amphibians. Hedgehogs also eat berries and fruits. Therefore, we can safely say that the hedgehog is an omnivore. The only thing a hedgehog cannot eat is dairy products, as a hedgehog cannot digest lactose.
In exceptional cases, the hedgehog even eats a viper. After all, hedgehogs are immune to snake venom and more. The highly toxic poison found in other animals has no effect on this insectivorous mammal.
Poisons such as arsenic, opium and even hydrocyanic acid also have little effect on European hedgehogs. However, large doses of poisons are fatal to hedgehogs. But doses that kill other animals, as well as humans, do not harm hedgehogs.
Features of character and lifestyle
Hedgehogs are most active at nightfall, when they crawl out of their holes in search of food. At dawn they return back to the den, where they spend the whole day. Their homes are usually well hidden in bushes or in empty holes of other animals.
The hedgehog does not like uninvited guests in its territories
Hedgehogs are clean animals. They regularly remove debris stuck between the needles and lick their belly. And to get rid of the parasites that live on its back, the animal rolls in apples so that the acid from the fruit scares them away.
Interesting fact : poisons have practically no effect on hedgehogs. Arsenic, acid, mercuric chloride - all this has a weak effect on his body.
Each hedgehog has its own territory in its domain, which it carefully marks. If another individual invades these lands, a real fight begins, which continues until someone escapes.
The animal has poor eyesight, but it has well-developed hearing and sense of smell. It also has excellent spatial orientation, can swim, jump, and even run at a speed of 11 km/h.
Lifestyle
As permanent habitats, all hedgehogs dig secluded burrows under tree roots or in bushes. However, there are also lazier hedgehogs who, instead of digging holes on their own, prefer to occupy the abandoned holes of other animals, usually rodents.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals and lead a corresponding lifestyle, sleeping in their burrows during the day and going out hunting at night. At the same time, they are very sedentary homebodies and even during hunting they prefer not to stray far from their burrow-dwellings. Also, hedgehogs are individualists who lead a solitary lifestyle; they meet with their fellows only for the purpose of procreation.
How do hedgehogs winter
During sleep, hedgehogs curl up into a ball.
In October, when the temperature begins to drop, hedgehogs hibernate. Beforehand, they actively overeat for a month and try to gain as much fat as possible. This makes it easier for them to survive the cold. If an individual lives in warm regions, then it may not hibernate at all.
When an animal enters a state of suspended animation, its body begins to work completely differently. The pulse drops to 20 beats, and body temperature to 2 degrees. The intervals between breathing in a hedgehog increase significantly: 1-2 breaths per minute.
The animal emerges from hibernation in April. Moreover, having awakened, he can spend several days in the den and wait until the temperature outside rises to 12-15 degrees.
Social structure and reproduction
In the spring, when hedgehogs come out of hibernation, their mating season begins. Already at the age of one year, individuals are able to have offspring. Having woken up, the males go in search of females, and several gentlemen can lay claim to one female at the same time. Then the fight starts. Its participants hiss and bite until a winner is determined.
After courtship, the male goes to his territory, and the female prepares for the appearance of offspring. Males do not help mothers in any way and do not participate in raising the young. The female is capable of producing offspring once a year.
Newborn hedgehogs under mother's protection
Pregnancy lasts one and a half months, and during this period the hedgehog manages to cover its den with leaves. From 3 to 8 animals are born at a time. The length of newborn cubs does not exceed 2 cm, and their weight is around 10 grams.
Interesting fact : newly born hedgehogs do not have spines, but after a couple of hours the spines begin to appear on the surface of the skin. In a few days they grow and become hard.
All summer the children live in their mother's den. By the 15th day they begin to see, and after a month they stop feeding on milk and switch to regular food. With the onset of autumn, they set out in search of territories that will become their new home. There, young individuals will begin to prepare for hibernation for the first time.
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