Hedgehogs are always welcome guests in our gardens. These are funny and very cute creatures with needles everywhere except for the belly, muzzle and paws. Hedgehogs are shunned by almost all predators, as they have the ability to curl up in a ball so that the spines protect exposed areas of the body. A strong ring muscle holds the needles on end. But you can stroke a hedgehog without consequences for yourself. To do this, you need to stroke him in the direction from the muzzle to the back, while his muscles relax.
So what is their use for us? Mainly, in what hedgehogs eat, more precisely, in their omnivorous nature. Their menu is really quite varied. They prefer live food, so they will be very useful in places where small snakes and snakes are found. Almost always the hedgehog wins the viper. He catches her by the tail and immediately curls up into a prickly ball, the snake, trying to bite him, stumbles upon a lot of thorns. At this time, the hedgehog slowly pulls the prey under itself and eats it. Snake venom does not harm him, like many other poisonous substances. He is not afraid of bee venom (he evendoes not feel), eats bugs and Spanish flies. He is not afraid of hydrocyanic acid or arsenic.
Precisely because hedgehogs eat almost all insects and creeping pests, they are always welcome in the gardens. Some summer residents even feed them, attracting them to their site. In one night, small hedgehogs are able to eat about 200 g of insects. It is especially effective to fight with the help of these animals with the cockchafer, snails and caterpillars.
But they can infect a person with encephalitis. Running in the forest, they collect ticks with their thorns. There can be so many of them that parasitologists in areas of outbreaks of this disease base their calculations on the "hour-hour" (the number of ticks that fall on an animal per hour of stay in the forest zone). It could have tens of thousands of ticks on it.
Many must have noticed that hedgehogs eat very noisily and a lot. In addition to animal food (toads, grasshoppers, snails, etc.), they also eat acorns, raspberries, strawberries.
Despite their barbed defenses, small hedgehogs often become food themselves. Martens dig them up during the cold period when they sleep, and an eagle owl, for example, swallows them whole with needles.
Some types of hedgehogs, or rather their thorns, can be poisonous. But the hedgehog does not produce the poison itself, but borrows it from the toads and lubricates the needles with it. Encountering sharp-smelling objects, he behaves very strangely: he licks this object until a foamy liquid (saliva) begins to stand out from him, then he transfers it to needles (licking himself). Sometimes on its thorns you cansee even half-smoked cigarettes. Experts cannot explain this behavior of the animals, but suggest that these are attempts to fight parasites.
Unfortunately, hedgehogs have a short life - 4-6 years. They have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing and a wonderful flair. They communicate by whistling.
If you have a small prickly lump at your place, then you should remember that hedgehogs prefer insects. In captivity, you can give them meat, they are not averse to eating eggs. Contrary to popular belief that hedgehogs need to be given milk, this should not be done so as not to harm. They are lactose intolerant. Dry animal food for dogs or cats is also not suitable for them, as they contain a large amount of fat. You can not feed them with pork, sausage, as well as sweets, cabbage and potatoes.
