Nature has created unique animals, each of which takes its place in the chain of development and vital activity 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 family of hedgehogs, but is considered the smallest representative and has a peculiar structure. A distinctive feature is his ears, which extend beyond half the head, which is why this name was given. With the help of such ears, the body temperature is adjusted to protect against overheating, since on the surface of the skin at the very ends of the ears there is a dense network of capillaries that expand at high temperature and help cool the body. Here is such an interesting and unique big-eared hedgehog, whose photo can be easily found in encyclopedias.
The hedgehogs are small, 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 hedgehogs have brown fur; albinos are very rare. The color of the needles mainly depends on the area where the hedgehog lives, so that he can get lost among foliage, grass or stones: light brown, straw or black. Another distinctive feature is that the needles are not located all over the body, like ordinary hedgehogs. The sides remain bare, covered with wool. Weight depending on the place of residence (in nature, in the zoo or as a pet) is different: in the wild - up to 350 g, and in captivity - up to 600 g.
Habitat of an eared hedgehog
A long-eared dwarf 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 ones, since there is very little water and vegetation, which also quickly burns out in the sun. Hedgehogs are trying to find a moist area, whether it is a river valley, a wet ravine or an oasis. There are enough bugs in the desert, but even without food, the animal can hold out for a long time. Due to his long ears, he easily copes with high temperature, because there is even an Ethiopian hedgehog who lives in a particularly hot area.
Hedgehogs are not attached to the place and can move long distances in search of a better corner. They easily use any tucked bush or mink as an overnight stay.
Hedgehog food
Contrary to popular beliefs and a cartoon image that shows that the hedgehog loves apples and berries, it is a predator that prefers meat. This representative of the family is the smallest. But what does an eared hedgehog eat, except for 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 the viper and eat it calmly without poisoning it, as it is resistant to various toxins.
The following representatives of insects are favorite food of this animal:
- A reaper anteater, living deep in the earth, where he builds his burrows several meters deep.
- The June Khrushchev got its name due to the fact that it appears just at the end of the month.
- A sandy lag that can live up to 2-3 years, but is very dangerous for grain plants if it is 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. He hunts very actively and can cover distances of up to 7 km, creating minks on the way or using burrows of gophers and other rodents. Thanks to its excellent hearing, the hedgehog quickly finds a source of sound, and with the help of its sense of smell it easily searches for well-hidden insects in the most inaccessible places.
Vegetable food in the diet is rare, but the hedgehog is not averse to tasting young flowers, shoots and fruits for vitamins.
Many people wonder about what eared hedgehog eats in the desert, where there are few insects and there are not so many plants. The representative of hedgehogs is very voracious, but if he does not find anything edible, he actively continues the search and can do without food and water for up to 10 weeks, having developed such an ability. However, this rarely happens, and the hedgehogs are well stocked with fat, which is enough for the whole time of hibernation.
Hibernation
At the end of October, an eared hedgehog begins to remain in a sluggish state, and when the first snow appears, it hibernates. However, his dream 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 holiday 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 pretty cool, hibernation can last almost six months - from October to March. In countries with a warm climate, the hedgehog may not hibernate, but if he does not have enough food, then he will prefer to sleep, because he has fat reserves that will last for several months.
Breeding eared hedgehog
The breeding season begins in warm countries in July and lasts until September. In Russia, where a big-eared hedgehog is present in small numbers and not everywhere, breeding occurs in April. The start of pairing begins with characteristic sounds that indicate readiness. Usually several males fight for one female. They begin to fight among themselves, trying to bite into unprotected places - ears and paws. As a result, the female chooses only one thing - the most persistent and hardy.
After mating occurs, the female drives 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 a hedgehog and feed them 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. Three weeks later, the babies can already taste adult food, but the female continues to feed them milk. When the hedgehogs reach the age of 50 days, they become completely independent and live alone.
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 important for agriculture, as it eats harmful insects that can damage the crop. Therefore, a big-eared hedgehog is very important for Russia.
The Red Book includes rare animals that need to be protected and protected in nature. She included in her lists this representative in Ukraine, in Bashkortostan, Chelyabinsk region and the Urals.
Enemies of the Eared Hedgehog
The biggest danger in the nature of a big-eared hedgehog can be expected from large predators: foxes, badgers, bears and stray dogs. Typically, the fox tries to drag the animal into any body of water, because it spreads out in the water, becomes almost unprotected, and the fox can very easily grab him by the nose. The badger also cannot resist the hedgehog, since the predator from the marten family has very long claws and an excellent scent, which the ears can not resist. In captivity, a hedgehog is better not to meet with dogs, and he gets along with cats quite well.
Lifestyle and benefits for man
The big-eared hedgehog, like all representatives of hedgehogs, lives alone and is found only during the breeding season. The greatest activity in these animals begins in the evening or at night, when they go hunting. In the afternoon, they rest in the shelter. Hedgehogs easily tolerate heat, are resistant to overheating and gain fat by autumn to go into hibernation.
The animal can live with a person, but only if he was taken at a young age. He is easily tamed, but of his own free will rarely comes close to the dwelling of people. Once in the house in adulthood, the hedgehog feels bad and may simply refuse food, which will die. It is not necessary to take these animals from the wild and for the reason that they can be carriers of diseases, although they themselves are resistant to diseases and infections. The will for the hedgehog is the best habitat, and in it it is able to bring more benefits to humans by eating insects that harm planted plants.
Home Eared Hedgehogs
Increasingly, people give birth to unusual, exotic animals, which include an eared hedgehog. The photo of the animal must be viewed in advance before buying it. You must understand how cute he is 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 the pet store, because such a hedgehog has already been born in captivity and will be able to adapt more easily to the house.
It’s easy to look after a hedgehog; it needs its own cage or a spacious box, but with high fields, because the animal can easily climb up and get out of the box. The cage should have sawdust or straw, and certainly of natural origin, which would be better for a hedgehog than paper or newspaper. The cage must be constantly looked after, cleaned from feces, washed in a bowl of water and food so that the animal does not catch the infection.
He often needs to be “walked” in the apartment, since he loves freedom. But to associate it with a gentle, affectionate animal will not work, since he is very wayward and can easily bite when he does not like something. It is worth knowing that at night the hedgehog is much more active, at this time he will explore the territory, so you can hear snorting, rattle and rumbling.
Water procedures are not so important for a hedgehog, but once a month you can bathe it so that there is no unpleasant odor from it. After swimming, you need to wrap it in a towel so that the hedgehog is well dried, and so that it does not blow out. Living with a person, the hedgehog does not hibernate, since for him a constant temperature regime is maintained, and there is always food.
Living in the wild and in the zoo
An eared hedgehog can adapt to any environment. In vivo, life expectancy may be 3-4 years. In the zoo, the hedgehog can live from 3 to 6 years, where its diet also consists of meat, insects, newborn mice. But you can see it only in the summer, since in winter it falls into hibernation due to the low temperature in the street, although in warm countries it can stay awake all the time.
Big-eared hedgehog: interesting facts
A few interesting points can be told about this small representative of the hedgehog family:
- When looking for food, the hedgehog is able to gain 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 an eared hedgehog is accidentally in the hands of a person, then you should know that you can’t feed him with milk, because of this, digestion problems begin.
- An interesting point is the acquaintance of the hedgehog with odors unknown to him. The animal begins to lick something until foamy saliva appears, which is usually applied to the needles. So hedgehogs can put on their needles and poisonous substances to protect against enemies that can accidentally lick or touch the paw.
- In nature, in addition to the usual and eared hedgehog, there is a long-needle, collared and blue-bellied hedgehogs, but the eared hedgehog is considered the most popular, it is the only one found in Russia.
- Hedgehogs are single in life. If a person starts several hedgehogs in his house, then everyone should have their own cage, otherwise they will not get along and will constantly fight, protecting their place.
- In Russia, an eared hedgehog can be purchased at a pet store for 3-10 thousand rubles.