Nature has created unique animals, each of which takes its place in the chain of development and life of the whole world. One of the representatives is an eared hedgehog. It is considered an important representative of insectivorous animals.
Eared hedgehog description
This animal belongs to mammals, to the hedgehog family, but is considered the smallest representative and has a peculiar structure. A distinctive feature is its ears, which go beyond half of the head, due to which such a name was given. With the help of such ears, body temperature is regulated to protect against overheating, since on the surface of the skin at the very tips of the ears there is a dense network of capillaries that expand at high temperatures and help to cool the body. Here is such an interesting and unique eared hedgehog, the photo of which can be easily found in encyclopedias.
Hedgehogs are small in size, no more than 20 cm, the length of the needles is about 2.5 cm. The animal has long legs, a short tail and the colors on the sides of the body are reddish-gray, and the belly is bright white. However, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the fur of hedgehogs is brown, veryrare albinos. The color of the needles mainly depends on the area where the hedgehog lives, so that he can get lost among the foliage, grass or stones: light brown, straw or black. Another distinctive feature is that the spines are not located all over the body, as in ordinary hedgehogs. The sides remain bare, covered with wool. Weight depending on the place of residence (in nature, in a zoo or as a pet) is different: in the wild - up to 350 g, and in captivity - up to 600 g.
The habitat of the eared hedgehog
Eared pygmy hedgehog lives mainly in desert or steppe regions. Main place of residence: Israel, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan. It can also be found in India, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and in Russia in the steppe zones.
African Eared Hedgehog
Desert hedgehogs are much more difficult than steppe hedgehogs, as there is very little water and vegetation, which also quickly burns out in the sun. Hedgehogs try to find moist terrain, be it a river valley, a wet ravine or an oasis. There are enough beetles in the desert, however, even without food, the animal can hold out for a long time. Due to his long ears, he easily copes with high temperatures, because there is even an Ethiopian hedgehog that lives in a particularly hot area.
Hedgehogs are not attached to a place and can move long distances in search of a better corner. They easily use any bush or mink that comes along as a place to sleep.
Food for the hedgehog
Contrary to popular belief and the cartoon image,which shows that the hedgehog loves apples and berries, it is a carnivore that prefers meat. This member of the family is the smallest. But what does the eared hedgehog eat, besides insects? This issue needs to be considered in more detail. In addition to small insects, the hedgehog is not averse to tasting eggs laid by birds. He can also overpower a viper and eat it calmly without being poisoned by poison, as he is resistant to various toxins.
The following representatives of insects are the favorite food of this animal:
- The anteater is a reaper that lives deep in the ground, where it builds its burrows several meters deep.
- June Khrushchev got its name from the fact that it appears just at the end of the month.
- A sand linger that can live up to 2-3 years, but is very dangerous to cereal plants if born in spring or early summer.
In addition to insects, a hedgehog can eat worms, snails or mollusks, and in some cases even a toad, lizard or small rodent. It hunts very actively and can travel up to 7 km, creating minks along the way or using the holes of gophers and other rodents. Thanks to its excellent hearing, the hedgehog quickly finds the source of the sound, and with the help of its sense of smell, it is easy to find well-hidden insects in the most inaccessible places.
Vegetable food is rare in the diet, but the hedgehog is not averse to eating young flowers, shoots and fruits for vitamins.
Many are wondering what the eared hedgehog eats in the desert, where there are few insects and noso many plants. The representative of the hedgehogs is very voracious, but if he does not find anything to eat, he actively continues to search and can go without food and water for up to 10 weeks, having developed such an ability. However, this rarely happens, and hedgehogs are well stocked with fat, which is enough for the entire hibernation.
Hibernation
At the end of October, the long-eared hedgehog begins to be in a lethargic state, and when the first snow appears, it hibernates. However, his sleep is not as deep as that of an ordinary hedgehog, and therefore the animal can wake up and even eat. Hibernation continues until the end of March or even until the beginning of April. The usual place for such a rest is a small mink at a slight angle on a hillside or under a bush no more than 50 cm deep.
So, in India, hedgehogs can hibernate for three months, and, for example, in the mountains of Pakistan, where it is quite cool, hibernation can last almost half a year - from October to March. In warm climates, a hedgehog may not hibernate, but if it does not have enough food, then it will prefer to sleep, since it has fat reserves that will last for several months.
Reproduction of eared hedgehog
The breeding season starts in warm countries in July and lasts until September. In Russia, where the eared hedgehog is represented in small numbers and not everywhere, breeding occurs in April. The start of mating begins with characteristic sounds that tell about readiness. Usually several males fight for one female. They start fighting with each othertrying to bite into unprotected places - ears and paws. As a result, only one is chosen by the female - the most persistent and hardy.
After mating occurs, the female chases the male away and begins to prepare to dig a hole that can reach a depth of 90 cm, where she will give birth to hedgehogs and feed them for the first time. Pregnancy usually lasts about 40 days, and depending on the habitat, fertilization can occur once or twice a year, and from 3 to 8 hedgehogs are born, but most often 4. An interesting fact: hedgehogs are born completely naked, blind and deaf. After 2 hours, sparse soft needles appear. However, after 15 days they become a well-defined cover with hard needles. After three weeks, the babies can already try adult food, but the female continues to feed them with milk. When hedgehogs reach the age of 50 days, they become completely independent and live alone.
Eared hedgehog is listed in the Red Book
In Russia, a representative of the hedgehog family is not found everywhere, but only in the steppe regions, in a warmer climate. It is very significant for agriculture, as it eats harmful insects that can damage the crop. Therefore, the eared hedgehog is very important for Russia.
The Red Book includes rare animals that need to be preserved and protected in nature. She added this representative in Ukraine, Bashkortostan, the Chelyabinsk region and the Urals to her lists.
Enemies of the big-eared hedgehog
The biggest danger eared hedgehog in naturecan expect from large predators: fox, badger, bear and stray dogs. Usually the fox tries to drag the animal into any body of water, because in the water it straightens out, becomes practically unprotected, and the fox can very easily grab it by the nose. The hedgehog also cannot resist the badger, since the mustelid predator has very long claws and an excellent sense of smell, which the eared ones cannot resist. In captivity, it is better for a hedgehog not to meet with dogs, but he gets along well with cats.
Lifestyle and human benefits
Eared hedgehog, like all representatives of hedgehogs, lives alone and is found only during the breeding season. The greatest activity of these animals begins in the evening or at night, when they go hunting. During the day, they rest in the shelter. Hedgehogs easily tolerate high temperatures, are resistant to overheating, and gain fat by autumn in order to hibernate.
A animal can live with a human, but only if it was taken at a young age. He is easily tamed, but of his own free will rarely approaches people's dwellings. Once in the house as an adult, the hedgehog feels bad and can simply refuse food, from which he will die. You should not take these animals from the wild for the reason that they can be carriers of diseases, although they themselves are resistant to diseases and infections. Will for a hedgehog is the best habitat, and in it he is able to bring more benefits to humans by eating insects that harm planted plants.
Hedgehogs
Increasingly, people have unusual, exotic animals, which include earedhedgehog. Photos of the animal must be viewed in advance before buying it. You have to understand how cute it is for you and whether the child will like it. Pygmy hedgehogs come from Africa - unpretentious animals. They quickly adapt to the environment and get used to people. It is better to purchase this representative at a pet store, because such a hedgehog has already been born in captivity and can more easily adapt to the house.
The hedgehog is easy to care for, he needs his own cage or a spacious box, but with high margins, because the animal can easily climb up and out of the box. There should be sawdust or straw in the cage, and it must be of natural origin, which will be better for the hedgehog than paper or newspaper. The cage must be constantly looked after, cleaned of feces, rinsed the bowl with water and food so that the animal does not catch the infection.
He often needs to be "walked" in the apartment, as he loves freedom. But to associate him with a gentle, affectionate animal will not work, since he is very capricious and can easily bite when he doesn’t like something. It is also worth knowing that at night the hedgehog is much more active, at this time he will explore the territory, so you can hear snorting, grinding and rumbling.
Water procedures are not so important for a hedgehog, but you can bathe him once a month so that an unpleasant smell does not come from him. After bathing, you need to wrap it in a towel so that the hedgehog dries well and so that it does not blow out. Living with a person, the hedgehog does not hibernate, since a constant temperature regime is maintained for him, and there is alwayssubsistence.
Life in the natural environment and in the zoo
The long-eared hedgehog can adapt to any environment. Under natural conditions, life expectancy can be 3-4 years. In a zoo, a hedgehog can live from 3 to 6 years, where its diet also consists of meat, insects, and newborn mice. But you can only see him in the summer, because in winter he hibernates due to the low temperature outside, although in warm countries he can stay awake all the time.
Eared hedgehog: interesting facts
Several interesting things can be said about this small representative of the hedgehog family:
- When searching for food, the hedgehog is able to gain a decent speed, and it is much higher than that of ordinary hedgehogs. If predators catch up with him, then he does not twist to the end, but only hides his head to jump out and hiss at the enemy, trying to prick with needles.
- If a long-eared hedgehog accidentally ends up in the hands of a person, then you should know that you can’t feed him with milk, because this causes digestive problems.
- An interesting moment - the hedgehog's acquaintance with smells unknown to him. The animal begins to lick something until a foamy saliva appears, which is usually applied to the needles. So hedgehogs can apply poisonous substances to their needles to protect against enemies who can accidentally lick or touch with a paw.
- In nature, in addition to the ordinary and eared hedgehog, there are long-spined, collared and blue-bellied hedgehogs, but the eared one is considered the most popular, itthe only one found in Russia.
- Hedgehogs are loners in life. If a person keeps several hedgehogs in his house, then everyone should have their own cage, otherwise they will not get along and will constantly fight, defending their place.
- In Russia, a long-eared hedgehog can be purchased at a pet store for 3-10 thousand rubles.
