Hedgehogs are small mammals from a large family of hedgehogs. Their length is usually 20-30 cm. Weight - 700-800 g. Life expectancy - 4-7 years. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but pretty good hearing and sense of smell. Their lifestyle is almost nocturnal. They hibernate for the winter. Their hearts slow down the rhythm from 180 beats per minute to 20-60. And they inhale during this period only 1 time per minute! Fat is essential for hibernation. His hedgehog is obliged to "walk up" in the fall. After all, if not sufficiently hibernated has gone, he may even die during such a “hungry” wintering. Hedgehog never harvests food for the winter. Its main reserve is the weight well gained from the fall, a sufficient layer of warm fat. This hibernation lasts from October to April. Spiky animals emerge from the mink at a temperature of about 15 degrees.
Hedgehogs are quite interesting animals, they run very well. For example, they are able to run at an amazing speed - up to 3 m / s, they are excellent at jumping and swimming. Despite the awesome spiky armor, hedgehogs have enemies - foxes, wolves, mongooses, ferrets.
What do hedgehogs eat?
Thorny lumps are actually omnivores. You may be surprised that hedgehogs eat - they prefer live food: reptiles, invertebrates, amphibians. Therefore, they are very desirable in areas of land where there are various snakes and snakes.
When meeting with the viper, the hedgehog always leaves the battle as the winner. Her poison does not affect him, however, like many other highly toxic substances. Do you know that they eat hedgehogs and flypan flies containing poison, which has a deadly effect on other animals? They also eat bedbugs, are not afraid of the orange caustic blood of ordinary ladybugs, the poison of bumblebees, bees, hairy caterpillars.
A prickly animal can be in demand in the garden during the flowering period of cherry trees, when the May beetles attack the trees. What the hedgehog eats at this time, and most importantly, the amount of food, is simply amazing - in one night it is able to eat up to 200 g of insect pests! Therefore, the fight against the May bug using a hedgehog is very effective.
The main menu of these animals are insects (beetles, earwigs) and their larvae, nodules, slugs, snails, earthworms. They rarely attack vertebrates in nature. From plant foods, hedgehogs prefer acorns, berries, mushrooms and fruits.
If the prickly lump is in your home, you should know how to feed the hedgehog, so as not to harm a small animal. When these animals are kept in captivity, they readily eat eggs, bread, and meat. Contrary to such a widespread opinion that hedgehogs love milk, it is harmful to them, it is undesirable to give dairy products, as these animals suffer from terrible lactose intolerance. Dog or cat food is also not suitable, as it contains too much fat and very little protein. From “human” food, hedgehogs are very fond of cold ice cream. The process of eating it is a pretty funny sight. In addition, they enjoy eating oatmeal porridge.
The maintenance of hedgehogs in special institutions (shelters, centers for animals) also involves special nutrition. In this case, you need to know that hedgehogs eat mostly, of course, insects. A half-kilogram hedgehog should be allocated for one feeding of 1 Madagascar cockroach (a large grasshopper can be used), a dessert spoon of well-fed flour worms, 6-8 crickets, 5 pieces of zoobus. It is optimal to feed healthy adult hedgehogs no more than 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening. Pregnant, lactating females and hedgehogs, babies, as well as sick - at least 4 times. You can give hedgehogs mice. If there are none, or if moral principles do not allow living to be eaten, you can give instead 1 tablespoon of low-fat minced meat.
You can’t give hedgehogs sausage, pork, too cold or hot food. Potatoes, sweets, cabbage and products with a pungent odor are contraindicated.