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 .
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.
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.
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.
Video
And in conclusion, an interesting documentary on the topic of our article - “The Hedgehog - the Garden Warrior.”
Author: Pavel Chaika, editor-in-chief of Poznavaika magazine
When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I would be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email [email protected] or Facebook, with respect, the author.
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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.
Interesting: Already
