Hedgehogs: eared, bald, prickly …

Zoologists account for about two dozen species of hedgehogs, of which five are found in Russia. The most numerous are the common, or western, and Eastern European, or white-breasted, hedgehogs. Not so long ago they were considered one species (the Amur hedgehog, now also identified as a separate species) was also attributed, but studies have shown that they are all different. The white-hooded hedgehog has a darker (somewhat grimy) muzzle, and its sides and belly are blond, while its western brother has dark brown hair on the sides. The main difference: the eastern hedgehog has a very bright spot on the chest. However, when meeting in the forest grass, this omen does not work …
The Daurian hedgehog living in Transbaikalia is rare and was listed in the Red Book of Russia. In 1999, they even released a silver ruble with the image of this animal. The widespread use of pesticides in the fight against rodents at one time widely hit a hedgehog. Now, scientists believe, the number of this species has stabilized.
The eared hedgehog lives in the deserts and semi-deserts of the Caspian region, and even further in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, where the Dahurian is much wider. During the Soviet era, the fauna of our large country had one more species – a bald hedgehog, which now lives in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In fact, he was called bald for a small “imprint” on the crown, and so he was like a hedgehog – a prickly hedgehog. Needles, however, are longer than those of the northern hedgehogs, for which he received another name – the long-wounded one. It is curious that all bald hedgehogs are divided into two color forms: black and white, and in one brood both colors can be used.
Sometimes you can hear how grumpy women want each other “hedgehog to give birth.” In fact, prickly animals do not experience any particular torment either during mating or during childbirth.
Caring for a hedgehog, her gentleman spins around the chosen one and “sings” – makes tweeting sounds. It should be noted that the hedgehogs are generally quite vocal if no one sees them. They can scream, whistle, quack and squeal. But their favorite songs are the same as those of Winnie the Pooh: puffers, grunts and snags. Grooming can last several hours until the hedgehog becomes supportive and presses the needles to the body: in this position they are not a hindrance to hedgehogs.
By the way, needles that save a hedgehog from many troubles cannot protect him from numerous ticks and fleas. On the contrary, the needles serve as an excellent refuge for the parasites. Scientists studying ticks use hedgehogs to study the number of bloodsuckers in foci of encephalitis and tularemia, and even came up with the term “hourly” meaning the number of ticks collected by one animal per hour of walking in the forest grass …
From two to seven ezhat born into the world naked and almost smooth: needles are only scheduled tubercles. A few hours later they are straightened, but remain soft. And after 11 days, even the blind Ezhata already know how to curl up in a ball, defending themselves. When they reach the age of one month, the mother drives them away. If the ezhata were born in May, the hedgehog can have time to bring another brood at the end of the summer …
Hedgehog in the apartment
At home, the hedgehog lives up to six years. That’s just to contain an odorous little animal in the apartment – a little pleasure. During the day he sleeps somewhere under the closet, and at night he runs across the floor, stomping loudly, rustling and grumbling. Be patient and do not be offended by him if he tries to taste your bare foot, recklessly peeking out from under the blanket.
Not everyone is able to withstand such a neighborhood, and now the hedgehog is thrown out. It doesn’t matter where he turned out to be – in a city park or in a forest. If this happened in September – October, he doesn’t have a single chance to catch himself at the time of hibernation. A hedgehog weighing less than 400 grams will not survive the winter. Therefore, those who bring hedgehogs from a cottage or from a village are almost certainly not animal lovers, but potential killers.
Another thing, if you are ready for any inconvenience for the sake of owning a prickly pet, or he was injured, exhausted, and your task is to overdo it until the next spring. By itself, the hedgehog is unpretentious. Arrange housing for him in a box or box, putting sawdust, rags and crumpled newspapers, and feed him once a day, exposing food in the evening: white bread in milk, porridge, minced or boiled meat, boiled vegetables, eggs and fish, soaked dog food. and cats too. Vegetables and fruits are good in small quantities. Of course, it is not necessary to give everything at once, but alternating a varied diet, and so that it leaves no more than 100-150 grams daily. If you give more, the hedgehog will quickly fatten – after all, at home he does not consume as much energy as in the forest, where he ran up to 3 km per night in search of profit. Water hedgehog it is desirable to give plenty, and milk as a drink is better not to give at all, since it is not uncommon for digestive disorders.
And yet the forest hedgehog in the apartment is an exception. He will give you much more joy, settling at the dacha. In the evenings, he will come to the house and lap milk from the cat’s bowl, and at night he will clean your garden from slugs and other pests. And if when he eats a strawberry or two, then you, of course, forgive him.