Hedgehogs are known to us from childhood.Reading and listening to a fairy tale, we meet with these fun industrious animal, covered with needles and fold up into a ball when danger.In Russia, the most common European hedgehog.He is often to be found among the inhabitants living corners and even at home as a pet.
Appearance
European hedgehog - small animal weighing 700-800 grams, while the fall and winter, when hibernating may reach 1.2 kg, because he needs to nourish the body at this time.Urchin body length reaches 27 cm. Males are slightly larger than a female.There hedgehog three-centimeter tail.
small snout covered with fur pretty tough.In hedgehog sharp nose, small dark eyes;ears can hardly see - they just peek out from under the fur.In the short legs of five fingers with enough sharp claws.Interestingly, the claws on its hind legs slightly longer than the front.Hedgehog - wild animal, so he has a lot of teeth.Although they are small, but very sharp.
needles urchin: what they
main distinguishing feature of hedgehog - its thorns.They represent the needles that cover the back and sides of the animal.In pups of 3000, in the adult amount is around 5-6 thousand.At the bottom and at the end of the white thorn, in the middle of - black and brown.Spines change periodically - hedgehogs shed.For the year beast changed every third needle.The exposed areas of the body covered with spines stiff gray hair.
Distribution
Habitat hedgehog extensive: central Russia, the Urals and the midland south of Western Siberia.If we talk about the global distribution, it is the whole of Europe, the Caucasus and Asia Minor.Hedgehogs live in New Zealand.They were brought back in the XIX century, the animals completely took root in local nature and live there still.But in North America hedgehog not caught.Its existence there is only known from the fossil remains.
Systematics
known not only to the European hedgehog.Systematics highlights besides it has two types: Whitechest (more common in the southern regions) and the Amur.For a long time these animals were considered one species, but later they were singled out.European hedgehog and Whitechest can co-exist and even to procreate.This is especially true in the areas of intersection of habitats.Amur is isolated from the rest of the Southern Primorye.Another type of hedgehog, living in the south of our country - eared hedgehog.Generally, there are 23 species of these animals.
Lifestyle
Jerzy - nocturnal.They have vast areas of feeding, which vehemently protect against other individuals.It is noteworthy that they may overlap in males and females, but the two males or two females are pregnant or breast - ever.Hedgehogs diligently defend their feeding areas.
animals live in nests constructed of dried leaves, moss and rot.Number of sockets up to 10 pieces on the territory of the habitat.Hedgehogs do not burrow, but happy to take those who were against rodents.Afternoon animals sleep.However, this does not apply at the time when the hedgehog just came out of hibernation.The first few weeks it is active during the day, too.
when the average temperature reaches 10 degrees, hedgehogs start to hibernate.This usually occurs in September - October, although in some regions is acceptable and in August.Hibernation - a very important event for the animal that you want to prepare.If the hedgehog does not accumulate enough fat, he will die.At times during hibernation killed up to 85% of the young.Previously, all hibernate males, and later all - young and females with litters ezhat later.During hibernation, the heart of the animal knocks up to 60 times per minute and breathing slows to 1 breaths per minute.
However, not all hedgehogs sleep away the winter if the temperature regime allows, they can wake up and have some time quite active.Jack hibernating hedgehog is a pile of dry leaves, moss and straw.The bottom is covered with it safely.Hedgehog digs into the slot and thus sleep in winter.
main enemies of the hedgehog - foxes and dogs.Apart from them, is not averse to try ezhatiny ferrets, large owls and badgers.They are animal hides, curled into a tight ball.While in this state for a long time can be a hedgehog.
hear clumsy animal in the forest is very simple: during the sloppy walk he leaves rustling.In addition, the issue hedgehog snorting sounds, may represent something like a sneeze, grunt and clatter of teeth.
of the senses hedgehog well developed sense of smell and hearing, but the animal does not see very well.Hedgehogs pretty quick run, swim.
Power
Jerzy - predators.However, the diet is very diverse animal.Most often it feeds on a variety of insects and their larvae.Grasshoppers, worms, earwigs, different bugs - that his eating habits.In addition, the European hedgehog can engage in battle with the snakes or lizards, he gnaws production range.Sometimes the animal eats fruits, acorns, mushrooms or berries.
It would seem that the hedgehog is very clumsy, but instinct had developed quite well.He is a first-class hunter.Can easily catch a mouse, entering into its burrow, or selflessly fight with the snake, without fear of poison.
particularly voracious urchin in hibernation periods before and immediately after it.For a night at this time can eat animal feed up to a third of their body weight.
Reproduction and ontogenesis
marriage between urchins lasts until June.Typically, after mating, the male leaves and hedgehog digs a hole for a special brood takes a rodent burrow.There are cases that the hedgehog is with the family, but they are rare.After about 40-50 days from the hedgehog born young.The number varies from 3 to 8. On average, five babies born.
Ontogenez European hedgehog has its own characteristics.Ezhata are born completely helpless, blind, without fur and spines.Needles come in a few hours after birth.By the end of the first day of the length of the spines is the 9 mm.They are still soft, black or white.
Newborn ezhata already know how to roll up into a ball, though not so thick.
female offspring feeds milk for a month, but this time bringing in a burrow worms, beetles and other insects to familiarize children with adult food.
About a month later, she displays ezhat the first hunt.Hedgehog is very kind to the kids, protects them from all danger.By the fall of ezhata leave the burrow mother, they build a nest and accumulate fat for hibernation.
Benefit or harm
The question of whether the European hedgehog is harmful or beneficial, can be viewed in two ways.On the one hand, it destroys these beneficial insects such as bees or earthworms.But the benefits far more prickly animals: hedgehogs relieve garden and forest from pests (eg slugs), as well as the deadly snakes to humans (such as vipers).
Hedgehog home
European hedgehog - quite an exotic pet.However, it can become a real pet, such as a cat or dog.Hedgehogs are easily trained, they can learn, for example, stand on their hind legs.They are easy to learn to go to the toilet at the same place.Unlike ferrets hedgehogs do not exude an unpleasant smell, they do not bite everything, like hamsters or guinea pigs.Hedgehog as a pet distinguishes, for example, from a cat that he was not aiming flat and does not damage furniture.
conquer his funny appearance and imaginary businesslike home European hedgehog.Reviews breeders say that animals get along well with other animals, such as cats.Unlike the latter, they do not cause allergy.We must remember that hedgehogs - nocturnal animals, so their habits laid vigil.Do not expect that they will sleep quietly at night, quite the contrary.Clumsy creature night will go about their business.It should be noted that all of this will be very noisy.
Especially for breeding at home were introduced such rocks urchins, such as the pygmy white-bellied hedgehog African pygmy hedgehog or a pygmy.These individuals twice less than a normal hedgehog, European.Photo below.
to places in the home is better to buy a hedgehog in the store.It is not necessary to take him out of the woods, because there may be a family.If you want to have a pet prickly on the site, you need to leave in the evening for a meal.Smelled, the hedgehog will come, and may soon do you have to settle in the territory, build a nest.
Proper care
Up to 8 years of living in a natural environment, the European hedgehog.Care in the home is able to increase his life expectancy to 10 years.In hibernation hedgehogs pets not fall.To animal feel comfortable, it is necessary to provide good conditions:
- The room temperature should be not less than 20 and not more than 27 degrees.
- Where hedgehog will dwell, that is a cell, it is necessary to prepare very carefully: it must be spacious.Grids can be any, even the wooden animals they will not nibble.But the floor is better to lay any waterproof material.At urchins thin legs, so they will be comfortable to walk on solid ground.Select a location for the cell, eliminating direct contact with the sun and drafts.
- If you hedgehogs male and female, to keep them separate is necessary, especially during the appearance of offspring.
- have a hedgehog should be feeders and waterers.Better to choose a heavy feeder, such as a ceramic, it is not that the animal turned.It should be large enough, because the hedgehog eats a lot.You can use the automatic drinkers.
- The cell must be a house, where the animal is resting.Its role can do anything, even the pitcher.It is desirable that the roof of the home was shot - so it will be easier to clean.
- also need to look after the running wheel and toys.Many home hedgehogs love to run through the tunnel or drive balls, which are playing a cat.Setting the running wheel, pay attention to the bars: the animal's feet must not fail.
- Periodically release the animal to run around the room, but always under supervision.
- It is advisable to hide the food in the cage to whack it found itself.This will help him not to lose the instincts.
Meals at home
If you have at home a European hedgehog, care for, including food, should be full, reminds him of his predatory habits.
Feed your animal only fresh foods at room temperature.Because of its largely nocturnal habits make better basic food late at night.
to feed a hedgehog suit boiled turkey, chicken, rabbit.For the full ration is necessary to give the hedgehog insects with chitin carapace - beetle larvae.In pet shops in Europe there are already special balanced pet hedgehogs.
sure to include in the diet of your pet fish: it is very useful due to the high content of microelements.Just good clean it from the bones and boil.
as a delicacy in rare cases, you can feed a hedgehog cat food "premium" class.This can be a canned food and dry.
Feed hedgehog milk and dairy products, you should not: his body is not able to process lactose.
To avoid infecting your pet worms, insects better stand for several days in the bran to clear them from the ground.
Do not give food a hedgehog insect inhabitants of the apartments, for example, cockroaches: they can contain harmful substances that are used to deal with them.
