Daurian hedgehog: interesting facts and photos

The Daurian hedgehog is an animal whose current population in South-Eastern Transbaikalia is estimated at approximately 550-650 thousand individuals, which made it possible to include the hedgehog in the Red Book.

The Daurian hedgehog lives in the Primorsky Territory, Chita and Amur regions, as well as in Transbaikalia. Outside our country, Daurian hedgehogs live in Manchuria, Mongolia and China.

The natural habitat of Daurian hedgehogs is steppes, semi-deserts and mountain rocky areas. They are found on the slopes of hills and in ravines with thickets of cotoneaster and almond. They often settle next to people. Daurian hedgehogs avoid places with thick, dense grass.

Daurian hedgehog (Mesechinus dauuricus).

Description

The Daurian hedgehog is a representative of the order of hedgehogs and is similar to its relatives in almost everything. The only distinctive feature is the absence of a bare strip of skin on the head, which is present in all hedgehogs, as well as reduced pricklyness due to the needles, the growth of which is directed backwards.

In all other respects, the Daurian hedgehog (photo in the article) is a familiar animal with a cone-shaped head of straw-whitish color and a moderately elongated muzzle. The size of its body is about 25 cm, the tail is up to 3.7 cm. Small ears (up to 3 cm) are bent forward, but do not touch the eyes. The color of the fur varies from light sandy to dark brown; the needles are endowed with one or two longitudinal stripes. The presence of ring muscles under the shell allows the animal to easily curl up into a tight ball.

The weight of a hedgehog is 600-1200 grams and depends on the time of year. During the hibernation period, body weight is minimal, and by the end of autumn, on the contrary, due to preparation for the long winter period, the hedgehog accumulates the necessary grams.

Morphology and distinctive features

Adult hedgehogs reach a length of 19.5–25 cm. The length of the tail can reach 37 mm. Body weight varies depending on age - usually about 600 g, but in exceptional cases it can reach up to 1 kg. The ears are small, measuring 29–34 mm. The head is conical. The needles are short, hard, directed backwards. The color of the fur on the top of the head is straw-whitish, the belly is dark gray-brown.

Daurian hedgehog

Habitat

The habitat of the Daurian hedgehog is the territory of Russia, namely the Chita and Amur regions, Primorsky Krai, Central and Southern Transbaikalia, part of the territory of which was previously called Daurian land. This gave the name to the animals living in its areas: white-naped marmot, white-naped crane, white-naped hedgehog (photo provided).

The spiky beauty can also be found in Eastern Mongolia, Manchuria and Northeast China. True, encounters are not as frequent as we would like, since in the 60s of the last century, the habitats of the Daurian hedgehog were treated with strong pesticides, which resulted in the death of a huge number of representatives of this class of animals. In this case, the hedgehog turned out to be an accidental victim, since the effect of the toxic substances was directed against the carriers of the plague - field rodents.

In its natural environment, the habitat of the Dahurian hedgehog is steppe areas, as well as semi-desert and mountainous areas with rocky areas. It settles in abandoned rodent burrows, does not shy away from dense bushes, natural niches in the soil and under stones. Avoids areas with dense grass. Often the homes of the spiky beauty are located near human habitation. This is explained by the absence of predators, the presence of secluded shelters and sufficient food.

Animal-human interaction

Hedgehogs often come to populated areas, especially in rural areas. Some people take them as pets. However, in order for them to feel comfortable, you will have to take care of the cage and proper nutrition.

The cage must have a drinking bowl, a litter tray and a feeder. It is recommended to line the bottom with natural filler. It would be a good idea to add straw, grass or moss.

Experienced owners of the Daurian hedgehog (a brief description is in the article) claim that at home the animals quickly switch to a diurnal lifestyle. If you keep the animal in an apartment, it will not even hibernate.

The animal is quite active and sociable, not aggressive at all.

It is also recommended to take the animal to the veterinarian, as they are often infected with helminths and may have other diseases.

The animal's diet should include a variety of insects; these could even be cockroaches, spiders and flies. You will have to take care of the presence of caterpillars, worms and locusts on the menu. Additionally, you can give meat, fish (boiled), fruits and berries, eggs.

Danger factors for the Daurian hedgehog

By the way, dangers await the Daurian hedgehog at every step. On the animal side, these are fox, wolf, steppe ferret, dogs kept without a leash. It is difficult for a hedgehog to escape from a badger that can get it out of deep holes. Of the winged representatives, the hedgehog is afraid of the steppe eagle, the long-legged buzzard, and the eagle owl.

Forest and steppe fires, pesticides used, and agricultural harvesting activities have a significant impact on population decline.

A lesser degree of danger for hedgehogs is posed by roads, which cause death from the wheels of vehicles, as well as by catching them and keeping them in captivity, in conditions in which they can live up to 8 years. In the natural environment, life expectancy is an order of magnitude shorter and is 3–4 years.

The above factors became the basis for people to control how and where the Daurian hedgehog lives. The Red Book perpetuated the need to take care of such an endangered representative of the animal world.

The Daurian hedgehog is characterized by a crepuscular lifestyle. He does not like humidity, so he avoids damp places and sits in a shelter if it rains. But in cloudy weather it is active even during the daytime.

The Daurian hedgehog goes into hibernation in August–October and emerges from this state around the end of April.

Adult males are the first to go to sleep in August; young individuals - around October. The awakening for Daurian hedgehogs is simultaneous and occurs approximately in the second half of April.

Diet of Daurian hedgehogs

Most of the diet of Daurian hedgehogs consists of slow-moving insects: darkling beetles, ground beetles, ants, orthoptera, and lamellar beetles. In addition, hedgehogs happily eat Mongolian toads, hamsters, pikas, bird eggs, snakes and carrion. Their diet also includes berries, such as cotoneaster and rose hips.

In captivity, the Daurian hedgehog can live 2 times longer - 7-8 years.

Reproduction

In nature, Daurian hedgehogs live separately, but during the mating period, which begins at the end of May, the pair lives together for several days.

The female usually lives in abandoned rodent burrows or digs a shelter on her own. The gestation period of a hedgehog is 37-40 days, usually in June - July new offspring are born in the amount of 4 - 7 cubs. They are born blind, their eyes begin to open on the 16th day. Also, babies at birth have a bright pink skin color and no needles at all. They begin to grow several hours after birth. The female is characterized by especially reverent care for her offspring and, at the slightest danger, transfers her babies to a new den.

Hedgehogs grow quite quickly and begin to emerge from their burrows at the age of one month. They finally separate from the mother at 7–8 weeks, beginning an independent life. Young males reach sexual maturity at 11 months, but competition with older individuals does not allow them to take part in reproduction for approximately 2 years.

The image of the Daurian hedgehog is immortalized on a commemorative silver coin from the “Red Book” series with a face value of 1 ruble, issued in Russia in 1999 in a limited edition.

Population size

In the mid-1960s, the Daurian urchin population declined sharply due to heavy use of pesticides in Russia. Since then, the population appears to have recovered, although it has not reached its previous size. Now the Daurian hedgehog seems to continue to spread in the northern regions. In southeastern Transbaikalia, the hedgehog population is estimated at 550,000 to 650,000 individuals. Due to low population densities in these areas, the species' abundance in most regions is unclear.

It is included in the IUCN Red List with the status of “least concern”, as well as in the Red Book of the Russian Federation as a vulnerable protected species with an uncertain status.

Daurian hedgehog: interesting facts

I would like to note several interesting facts concerning both the Daurian hedgehog and the rest of its fellows:

All hedgehogs have 36 teeth.
The breathing rate of a hedgehog during a normal period is 40-50 times per minute; during hibernation it is 6-8 times. The decrease in body temperature is also proportional: during the normal period it is 34 degrees, during hibernation – 2 degrees.
Having excellent sense of smell and hearing, hedgehogs have poor vision.
The hedgehog's resistance to viper venom is amazing. Other poisons also have a weak effect on it: arsenic, opium, hydrocyanic acid.

Interesting facts about the animal

Daurian hedgehogs are considered very interesting and unique animals, which are interesting and exciting to watch. Males of this species hibernate earlier than females or young. During the hibernation period, up to 30% of the animal’s body weight is lost.

The lifespan of the Daurian hedgehog ranges from 3.5 to 7 years in natural conditions and up to 8 years in captivity (for example, in a zoo). The female feeds the offspring with milk for 1.5 months.

After this, the hedgehogs gradually wean themselves from her, and by 2 months they become independent. Males reach sexual maturity by 10 months, but due to great competition with older individuals, they begin to reproduce no earlier than 22 months.

Security

The main protected area for these animals is the Daursky Nature Reserve. The Daurian hedgehog in the reserve is not only protected, it is studied and everything is done to preserve and even increase the population. In the protected zone, measures are taken to prevent fires; there are strict restrictions on the use of chemicals, even for nearby agricultural land.

Where does the hedgehog live and how?

The common hedgehog lives in Western and Central Europe, the British Isles, southern Scandinavia, northwestern European Russia, Western Siberia and Kazakhstan. The common hedgehog also lives in New Zealand, where it was introduced. This insectivorous animal is most widespread in Europe, Western Siberia, northwestern Kazakhstan, Asia Minor, Amur region, northern and northeastern China.

The hedgehog lives in different places, but avoids large swamps and dense coniferous forests. The hedgehog lives preferring forest edges, copses and small clearings. In Europe, the common hedgehog can be found in mixed forests, shrubs and grassy plains. Also, a hedgehog often lives next to a person. Therefore, finding a hedgehog in a city park or in a country house is a common occurrence.

Hedgehogs live by being active at night. During the day, hedgehogs live in their nests, where they can rest comfortably. Hedgehogs make their nests in bushes, holes, tree roots or empty rodent burrows.

Typically, a European hedgehog's nest is 15-20 cm in diameter and has a flooring of dry grass, leaves and moss. In such a nest the hedgehog sleeps and can take care of itself. With the help of their paws, hedgehogs take care of their prickly fur coat, and they lick their chest and belly with their tongue.

Also, hedgehogs each live in their own area, where they wander in search of food. During the night, the common hedgehog runs up to 3 km. Males show aggression among themselves and protect their territory. They snort noisily and make various sounds similar to sneezing.

The area of the site for males is 7-39 hectares, and for smaller females it is 6-10 hectares. Even though hedgehogs have a prickly coat, they also shed. In ordinary hedgehogs this usually occurs in spring or autumn. This process is very long and slow. Each new needle grows for 12-18 months.

The small size of the common hedgehog does not prevent it from being quite nimble. These animals can run at speeds of up to 3 m/s, and they are also excellent swimmers and jumpers. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but they have a very keen sense of smell and sensitive hearing.

In the summer, the hedgehog prepares for winter and accumulates fat reserves for the winter. In addition to his usual weight, he also gains 500 g of fat, because in winter the hedgehog hibernates. Hedgehogs spend the winter in their burrows. When frosts come, European hedgehogs hibernate, tightly closing the entrance to their burrow. Hibernation usually lasts from October to April.

During hibernation, a hedgehog's body temperature drops to 2 °C. Over the summer, the hedgehog must gain as much fat as possible, because if it hibernates without the necessary supply of fat, it may die of starvation in the winter.

After hibernation, this insectivorous animal does not immediately leave the nest, but waits until the air temperature rises to 15 °C. Common hedgehogs live alone, but settle close to each other. Adults avoid close contact with each other, with the exception of mating season. How many years do hedgehogs live? In nature, hedgehogs live 3-5 years, but the life expectancy of a hedgehog in captivity can reach 8-10 years.

Why do I eat needles? Everyone is familiar with the ability of hedgehogs to curl up into a prickly ball if danger threatens. This animal can remain in this state for a long time until the threat passes. The hedgehog's spines form a strong armor. Therefore, the hedgehog needs needles for protection.

But hedgehog spines require careful care, because the spines collect ticks and other parasites. The paws help the hedgehog clean its thorns. But since they are short, the hedgehog cannot reach everywhere to clean properly.

In such cases, the acid released by the fruit helps get rid of parasites. That's why hedgehogs ride on rotting apples or other fruits. This behavior makes one mistaken in thinking of the hedgehog as a passionate lover of apples, who pricks them on needles and carries them on his back to his hole. But this is not so, the hedgehog prefers insects.

The hedgehog is a peace-loving creature, but it has plenty of enemies in nature. Wolves, foxes, eagle owls and other predators threaten the life of the hedgehog. Having met a predator, the hedgehog first jumps on it to prick it, and then curls up into a ball. Having pricked its paws and muzzle, the predator loses interest and retreats.

But the enemies are cunning and are able to deceive the simple-minded hedgehog. Especially those that feed on hedgehogs. The eagle owl attacks unexpectedly and silently, trying to take the hedgehog by surprise. The bird's paws are protected by thick skin from the hedgehog's prickly needles. The fox drives the hedgehog to the water or throws it from a hill. In such situations, the hedgehog opens its abdomen and muzzle, becoming vulnerable to predators.

But in a duel between a European hedgehog and a snake, the prickly and fearless daredevil becomes the winner. The animal grabs the snake and curls up into a ball, gradually wrapping it around itself. After all, he is insensitive to many poisons.

Where does the Daurian hedgehog live?

Photo: Daurian hedgehog in Russia

Geographical regions of the hedgehog's habitat:

Mongolia;
South-Eastern Transbaikalia on the territory of the Russian Federation;
China;
Selenga Duaria;
territory of the Borschevochny and Nerchinsky ridges;
area near the Ingoda, Chita and Shilka rivers;
Chita region of the Russian Federation;
Amur region of the Russian Federation;
Manchuria.

The animal densely inhabits the territory of the Daursky Nature Reserve; their populations are also numerous in the Chasucheysky Forest. The animal prefers steppes, semi-desert areas, mountainous or rocky areas as its habitat. You can often find these small animals in ravines with abundant, dense thickets of cotoneaster and almond, as well as on the slopes of hills. They try to avoid regions with thick and tall grass.

Interesting fact: Hedgehogs are not at all afraid of people, and often live in close proximity to human settlements or agricultural land.

Predominantly dry places are chosen as the habitat region. In the northern regions, sandy places are preferred. They also feel comfortable in deciduous and mixed forests. In the steppes it is found in areas where vegetation and grass are not too tall. Most often they hide under stones or various depressions in the soil. With the onset of the rainy season, they tend to look for shelter and hide in it almost constantly.

Hedgehog diet

The European hedgehog is an omnivore. The main part of its diet consists of insects, slugs and caterpillars, and earthworms. Hedgehogs also feed on sweet berries and fruits, and seeds of cereal plants. Sometimes they eat mushrooms, acorns and moss, and they can also eat food waste found in summer cottages.

In natural habitats, these mammals rarely attack vertebrates; torpored amphibians and reptiles become victims of hedgehogs. Northern populations of representatives of the hedgehog family feed on frogs, lizards, mice and other small rodents (shrews, voles). They love to feast on the eggs and young chicks of ground-nesting birds. In general, hedgehogs are very voracious and in one night of hunting can eat an amount of food equal to 1/3 of their own weight.

Interesting fact

The hedgehog is an omnivore, in nature it feeds on both insects and fruits. Among insects, he happily eats earthworms, beetles, spiders, caterpillars, slugs, earwigs, and ground beetles. Hedgehogs love lizards, mice, bird eggs, frogs and toads, locusts, crustaceans and invertebrates. In addition to mice, the wild hedgehog also feeds on other small rodents; its diet is incredibly varied.

In addition, it is resistant to poison, such as snakes and scorpions, which allows you to dine on them without fear. From plant foods, the common hedgehog eats cereals, raspberries, mushrooms, apples, strawberries, blackberries, moss, and acorns. But they won’t eat carrion and garbage in their summer cottages, that’s a myth! The hedgehog eats well over the summer, since in winter it can die during hibernation. It is the fat reserve that allows them to survive hibernation from October to April.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with hagfish reproduction and nutrition

1. The hedgehog appeared on Earth 15 million years ago

2. The ancient Romans used hedgehog skins to comb their sheep.

3. In hibernation, the temperature of a hedgehog can reach 2 degrees

4. Fried hedgehog - a favorite delicacy of gypsies

5. Hedgehogs are not able to catch up with a mouse, although they are not averse to such prey

6. Serbs treat alcoholism with hedgehog urine, and use his little heart as a talisman

7. As we often see in cartoons, a hedgehog on needles drags mushrooms or apples - this is a myth! It is not able to curl up in such a way as to place food on the needles

8. At the beginning of the 20th century, the McDonalds restaurant chain killed many hedgehogs completely by accident. The fact is that the ice cream cups were narrow, and the hedgehogs at the garbage dumps happily stuck their heads into these cups and licked the remnants of the sweet, but the trouble was that due to the diameter, they could not pull their heads back and fell into the trap! Animal rights activists protested, and the restaurant increased the diameter of the glass.

What do hedgehogs eat? The main diet of animals is plant food. Hedgehogs have priority:

Beetles.
Little frogs.
Small lizards.
Worms.
Mice.
Small insects and their larvae.
Snails.
Slugs.
Eggs of some birds.
Only newly born chicks.

The unique structure of the jaw allows hedgehogs to chew through rough food. In addition to living creatures, the hedgehog eats tree fruits and berries. Living in captivity, this small animal can eat milk, baked goods, apples, meat and cereal porridge.

Behavior of an ordinary hedgehog

After frost sets in, the hedgehog closes the entrance to its burrow and goes into hibernation, on average from October to April. During the summer, the hedgehog stores a lot of fat, since if it is less than 500 g, then in winter it can die of hunger. After hibernation, the animal leaves the nest after the temperature rises to 15 °C.

Shedding is slow and occurs in spring or autumn. During the year, one needle out of three changes and grows from 12 to 18 months. The hedgehog carefully takes care of the needles - licks and cleans.

The common hedgehog is a fairly fast animal for its size. It reaches speeds of up to 3 m/s, swims and jumps well. The hedgehog's eyesight is poor, but it has a keen sense of smell and hearing.

The lifespan of an ordinary hedgehog in nature is 3-5 years, in captivity up to 8-10 years.

Appearance and features

Photo: Daurian hedgehog in nature

The body length of the Daurian hedgehog is approximately 19-25 centimeters. Particularly large individuals in rare cases can reach 30 centimeters. The body weight of one adult individual is 500 – 1100 grams. The greatest body weight is observed in the period before winter, when the animals try to eat as much food as possible before the hungry season. Due to the lack of food supply in winter, they lose up to 30-40% of their body weight. The animals have a small tail, the length of which does not exceed 2-3 centimeters.

The entire body of the Daurian hedgehog is covered with thick and durable needles, which, unlike other representatives of the hedgehog family, are directed not straight up, but backward. The needles on the body of the animal are arranged in longitudinal rows. The head area is also covered with a continuous protective shell of needles. The length of the needles is approximately 2-2.5 centimeters.

In addition to the needles, the body of the small animal is covered with dense, coarse fur. Fur color may vary. In the head area it is most often light, straw-yellow, or slightly brownish. The body is covered with light brown or gray fur. The belly area is covered with coarse, dense hair, which has a darker shade, in contrast to the back. The needles are most often off-white, sandy or grayish in color. Because of this, the overall color scheme takes on a grayish-brown tint.

The head of the Daurian hedgehog is cone-shaped with an elongated nose. At the top of the head on the sides there are small, rounded, forward-facing ears. Hedgehogs' eyes resemble two beads. They are small, black, round. The limbs of animals are very strong and well developed. The paws are short but thick. The fingers have long, thick claws.

What to feed a hedgehog at home?

The basis of a home hedgehog's food should be raw, lean, chopped meat, boiled liver and fresh fish. As a delicacy, you can offer hedgehog bloodworms, mealworms, crickets, and cockroaches. You can also feed your pet hedgehog apples and carrots. Many people wonder if hedgehogs can have milk. In fact, you should not feed your pet milk, since hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, and milk can not only cause indigestion in the animal, but also lead to its death. It is also not recommended to offer your pet hedgehog earthworms, snails, slugs and cockroaches caught in the wild, as they can be infected with parasites and lead to illness in the hedgehog.

Long-eared hedgehog: interesting facts

Several interesting points can be told about this small representative of the hedgehog family:

When searching for food, a hedgehog is able to gain decent speed, and it is much higher than that of ordinary hedgehogs. If predators catch up with him, he does not curl up completely, but only hides his head in order to jump out and hiss at the enemy, trying to prick him with needles.
If a long-eared hedgehog accidentally ends up in the hands of a person, then you should know that you cannot feed it milk, because this will cause digestive problems.

What does the Daurian hedgehog eat?

Photo: Daurian hedgehog from the Red Book

Daurian hedgehogs are insectivores. The main part of the diet is various insects, which the animal can dig up in the ground with the help of powerful paws and strong claws. However, it is safe to say that the animal’s diet is very varied and rich.

Food supply of the Daurian hedgehog:

beetles;
ants;
ground beetle;
quail eggs;
crickets.

In addition to insects, animals that live near agricultural lands and human settlements feed on scraps and grains and cereals. In natural habitats, they can catch and eat a hamster, frog, mouse, snake, chicks hatched from eggs, if bird nests are located within its reach.

They may also eat vegetation. In this type of food, preference is given to almonds, rose hips, and cotoneaster. However, it can feed on almost any berries and other succulent varieties of forest vegetation. During periods when the food supply is especially scarce, they can feed on carrion.

Character and habits

They love dry weather, leaving their burrows at dusk, in cloudy weather and at night. Daurian hedgehogs live in burrows left behind by rodents and in holes in the ground. Sensing danger, animals curl up into a ball with their needles up and can sit in this state for quite a long time.

In moments of danger, hedgehogs curl up into a tight ball.

The main enemy is the badger. The badger takes predators out of holes and eats not only adults, but also cubs. Wolves, foxes, eagle owls and steppe eagles also prefer hedgehogs as prey.

Hedgehogs are carriers of parasites, including fleas and ticks.

Trying to get rid of parasites, the predator rolls around in rotten leaves and apples. The sour smell that animals acquire repels ticks for a short time.