Have you at least sometimes about what we know about the forest dwellers?We all looked happy childhood cartoons, where the cute bunny often got into trouble, as an angry wolf was his worst enemy.Quite often in children's cartoons can be found all beloved character - hedgehog who diligently pulls on their prickles appetizing apple, but this is often our knowledge about the lifestyle of the prickly animal end.Let us together with you plunge into the world of forest animals to the question of our child, "How to prepare for winter hedgehog?" - With dignity, to tell him about what constitutes this little ball of needles.
Appearance
It is a small mammal animal, which has a total body length of about 20-30 cm. We have never in the photographs with images of a hedgehog or just do not see pictures of the tail, but it is he has, just very small - only 3cm.
Hedgehog has a weight of only 700-800 grams, and relatively small ears, which often do not reach, and 3.5 cm. The upper jaw of the animal is about 20 acute, but small teeth, but at the bottom of a little less- only 16. The muzzle is slightly elongated, it can be said wedge.The legs are equipped with five fingers, which have sharp claws.Juveniles urchins are about 3 thousand needles, and adults up to 5-6 thousand, smooth surface of the needles, and the color is characterized by alternating light and brownish belts.Inside the hollow needle and filled with air, on the head, back and sides reach 2 cm in length and grow fast enough as hair set among the needles.They are rare and thin, but long enough, and in the belly of the animal have a dark color.
Habitat
Hedgehog can be found in a variety of places, often his favorite habitat - the forest edge, shrubs, clearings ... Jerzy often "settle" near people's homes.This common creature can live in Central and Western Europe, in the south of Scandinavia, Western Siberia, as well as in Spain and Kazakhstan.Generally, hedgehogs avoid continuous coniferous arrays and extensive wetlands, other places where trees grow, even if it is the human exploration of the park are quite grown fond place for them.Hedgehogs can live together with a man, and even his assistant are in the fight against various kinds of rodents, snails and other not the most pleasant "neighbors."
Reproduction
Before you talk about what makes a hedgehog in the winter, you must have an idea what kind of lifestyle he leads, and how he is the process of mating and reproduction.The process of finding a partner for breeding occurs after hibernation when the forest hedgehogs can find enough food.Males fight among themselves for the female and is actively chasing her.With the onset of pregnancy hedgehog prepare a safe haven for themselves and future offspring.This is the place they are shrouded with moss, leaves, dry grass and carefully his mask.In the litter of the female is usually 3-5 ezhat who are born with closed eyes and ears, but instead of needles have only mild beginnings.Within 2 weeks the young offspring formed needles, and by the end of the second month of life, they leave their lair forever, leaving his mother - he is such a hedgehog.Where does each winter, it is not yet clear, because hedgehogs - alone and furiously fighting and guard their territory, so disperse in different directions.
The proximity of people and hedgehog
This scratchy creature has long been a human natured and harmless neighbor.Those who live in their homes, are well aware that the hedgehog happy to destroy harmful insects, caterpillars and even rodents.Sometimes desperate people do not know how to deal with these pests, and to learn about the habits of hedgehogs from friends or from other sources, decide to have an animal.Within a very short time in the area where settles hedgehog, there will be no threat.Therefore, if we talk about what makes a hedgehog in the winter, you can safely assume that he is resting.However, the animal is, so to speak, bad "habits": it destroys the eggs and offspring of birds that nest on the ground.In addition, it is a carrier of diseases such as yellow fever, rabies, ringworm, salmonella, and so on. D. Hedgehog can bring in their thorns ticks, fleas and other pretty unpleasant and even dangerous insects.His needles he seemed to brush collects ticks off the grass and to get rid of their own can not.
Behavior hedgehog
How to prepare for winter hedgehog?This question is of interest to many animal lovers and especially those who started at his home was a hedgehog.The fact that the behavior of any animal in captivity and in its natural habitat is often different, so consider these two options separately.
Generally, depending on the climatic conditions of life of a hedgehog can be assumed that the active period of his life takes from four to seven months.This period of time, in turn, can be divided into the revival reproductive period and preparing for hibernation.
hibernation will
If a hedgehog lives in their usual habitat, it is for the warm season it is actively accumulates fat reserves, because we know that the hedgehog falls in the winter in hibernation, but in order to survive the cold season, the need to have enough strength.With the onset of cold weather disappears food, which usually feed on urchins, quite rare beetles and rodents, caterpillars disappear, nightlife seemed transfixed.Spiny animal also tries to rebuild in a new way his life daily.
How to prepare for the winter and that such hedgehog hibernation?This is primarily specific types of animals adaptation, with members of the species have a different perception unfavorable conditions of life, so to hibernate may also, for various reasons.For urchins main reason for leaving hibernation it is primarily a lack of basic feed, and at the second place is the ambient temperature.When comparing the hedgehog with other animals that, for example, gerbils, and chipmunks can make his supply of vegetable food, but do reserve insect is simply impossible, so in the warmer months hedgehog actively accumulates fat.However, winter stupor hedgehogs can also be linked with its imperfect and regulators.
Hibernation in captivity
Despite the fact that hedgehogs in captivity created all the conditions for life, and he does not need a reserve of food, as it is it has free access, these animals, however, can still fallinto hibernation, and although the temperature is not lowered.By the way, biologists have studied the question of how to prepare for winter hedgehog, and came to a curious conclusion that the activity of the animal affects the light that is a synchronizer seasonal activity.
Some owners urchins at home are worried about how to identify their favorite of went into hibernation.Experts recommend to bring to the nose of the animal mirror and watch for signs of breathing.Indeed, looking at the hedgehog in hibernation, it is difficult to understand whether he is alive or not, because it comes a kind of stupor.Hedgehog half rolled into a ball, his body temperature during hibernation is only 1.8 degrees, it is difficult to recognize the symptoms in these animals alive.Nevertheless, those who started the hedgehog home, should know how to prepare for winter hedgehog, what are the signs of sleep and how to print it from this state.
Myth of hedgehog
curious and even a little sad to find out that our understanding of the Hedgehog carrying on their tenterhooks apple or mushroom, is fundamentally wrong.These little animals never needle prick on food, the most they could in this way to move the leaves to their burrows.
Now you have learned a lot about the hedgehogs, but even if you meet in the forest or near the house the animal and bring him home, remember that you have a great responsibility for the life of this small and defenseless animal.But do not forget that hedgehog sleeps in the winter, so if you see that the animal very little weight, which means that it is not enough gained fat reserves before entering into a state of suspended animation, and it is very likely that your prickly neighbor maydid not survive the cold outside.
