Jerzy always welcome in our garden plots.It is funny and very cute creature with needles everywhere except the belly, muzzle and paws.Hedgehogs shun almost all predators, since they have the ability to curl into a ball so that the spines protect exposed areas of the body.Severe muscle ring holds the needle "on end."But you can pet hedgehog, and without consequences for themselves.To do this, rubbing it in the direction of the muzzle to the back, with his muscles relax.
So what are they useful for us?Mainly, that hedgehogs eat, or rather, their omnivorous.Menu from them is really quite diverse.They prefer live food, so will be very useful in places where there are small snakes, and snakes.Almost always wins viper hedgehog.He caught it by the tail and then collapses into a spiny ball, snake, trying to bite him, stumbles upon a lot of thorns.Hedgehog at this time slowly tightens prey for themselves and eat.Snake venom does not cause him any harm, and many other toxic substances.He is not afraid of the venom of bees (their bites he did not even feel), eats bugs and blister flies.Not afraid of him, neither hydrocyanic acid nor arsenic.
That's because almost all hedgehogs eat insects and crawling pests in gardens they are always happy.Some gardeners even feed them, drawing on his land.For one night the little hedgehogs can eat about 200 grams of insects.Especially effectively deal with these animals with May beetles, snails and caterpillars.
But they can infect human encephalitis.Running in the woods, they collect their spines mites.They can be so much that parasitologists in areas of outbreaks of the disease in their calculations are based on the "hedgehog-hour" (the number of ticks getting on the animal for an hour stay in the forest zone).It may be tens of thousands of mites.
Many people probably noticed that hedgehogs eat very noisy and a lot of.In addition to animal food (frogs, grasshoppers, snails, etc.), they eat acorns, raspberries, strawberries.
Despite their prickly protection small hedgehogs themselves often become food.Martens dig them in the cold season, when they sleep, and the owl, for example, swallowed whole with needles.
Some species of hedgehogs, or rather their spines can be poisonous.But the hedgehog itself produces no toxic substance, and it borrows from toads and lubricates them needles.Encountering sharply smelling things, he behaves very strangely: Licking this subject as long as he does not start to stand out frothy fluid (saliva), he then transfers it to the needles (licking itself).Sometimes it can be seen even thorns half-smoked cigarette.Experts can not explain this behavior the animals, but suggest that it attempts to deal with parasites.
Unfortunately, the life of the hedgehogs is short - 4-6 years.They have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and a remarkable flair.They communicate via whistle.
If a small lump appeared nipping at your home, you should be aware that hedgehogs eat insects preferred.In captivity you can give them meat, they are not averse to eat and eggs.Contrary to popular belief, that hedgehogs need to give milk, it is not necessary to do so, to do no harm.They do not tolerate lactose.Dry animal feed for dogs and cats, too, they are not suitable, because they contain large amounts of fat.You can not feed them pork, sausage and sweets, cabbage and potatoes.
