10 interesting facts about hedgehogs – cute and charming predators

The hedgehog is a permanent inhabitant of the forest, but sometimes these animals are also found in park areas. Despite the sharp needles, these animals are very cute and, moreover, they are useful – they destroy harmful insects (unfortunately, they eat useful insects along with them).

I would like to note that if a hedgehog wound up in a summer cottage, this is a good sign, but you don’t need to drive him away and distract him from his important affairs.

Many, probably, at the sight of this wonderful animal, recall the cartoon of the artist and animator Yuri Norshtein “Hedgehog in the Fog” in 1975, where the acting characters are friends – a hedgehog and a bear. From this cartoon, the soul becomes a little warmer, even if it is raining outside the windows, and “cats are scratching” in the soul. If you have not watched this cartoon yet, we advise you to watch it, as well as take some time and read about hedgehogs – these charming little animals.

We bring to your attention 10 interesting facts about hedgehogs – prickly, but cute babies.

10 One of the most ancient mammals

Hedgehogs are widespread in Europe. We have known about this animal since childhood, having met him from various fairy tales and cartoons. Hedgehogs are the most ancient mammals (along with shrews) from the insectivorous order..

For the past 15 million years, these animals inhabit different cities and countries. The only thing is that they avoid those climatic zones in which there is constant cold, as well as swampy areas.

Interesting fact: scientists have found an ancient “hedgehog” that lived during the dinosaurs (125 million years ago), but it looked different. This creature had large ears, short hair, an elongated muzzle and a fluffy belly. It lived in burrows and fed on insects.

9. About 17 types of hedgehogs

Perhaps you know only a few types of hedgehogs: eared, Dahurian, common and long-spined. However, there are about 17 species of hedgehogs (if not more)!

The South African hedgehog, which is on the verge of extinction, is included in the Red Book. The most common hedgehogs are: white-bellied (this species has one peculiarity – the 5th thumb is missing on its small paws, which is not at all typical for its needle-like counterparts), Algerian, common (omnivore, small size), eared. Despite the similarity, hedgehogs differ, including in appearance.

8. Approximately 10 needles per animal

Interestingly, there are many types of hedgehogs in the world, and they are all very different, so it is difficult to say how many spines an animal has in general. Our European, for example, has 6000-7000 needles in an adult and from 3000 in a young one.

It is believed that as the hedgehog grows older, the number of needles increases. But this happens only in the process of growing up, then their number stabilizes and the needles are periodically updated. The maximum number of needles on a hedgehog reaches 10.

Interesting fact: some hedgehogs do not have needles at all, for example, in the genus Gimnur or rat-like ones. Instead of needles, they grow hair, and outwardly they look more like rats.

7. Can reach speeds up to 3 m/s

Few people can imagine a hedgehog running somewhere and accelerating to 3 m / s. And this is quite understandable – there is no need for a hedgehog, and you are unlikely to have ever seen a fast animal, but the animal is not at all slow. It is better not to compete with him in races – the hedgehog will not only catch up with you, but can also overtake you!

But these are not all the features of a wonderful animal – if necessary, it can swim perfectly and even jump to a height of about 3 cm (the latter is hard to imagine, agree).

6. omnivore

The common hedgehog is an omnivore, the basis of its nutrition is caterpillars, adult insects, slugs, mice, earthworms, etc. Under natural conditions, the animal rarely attacks vertebrates, most often amphibians or numb reptiles become victims of hedgehogs.

From plants, the hedgehog prefers fruits and berries (often there is such a picture where the animal drags an apple on its back. In fact, hedgehogs can carry small pieces of fruits and berries on their needles, but they are not able to lift a whole apple).

Hedgehogs kept in captivity willingly consume meat products, bread, eggs. Contrary to popular belief, milk is not the best drink for a hedgehog.

5. Hibernates in winter

And you thought only bears did it? Hedgehogs also hibernate, however, they do not create a lair for this. Since autumn, these beautiful animals are revising their routine in a new way. They begin to actively look for a place to winter.

Hedgehogs are happy to use holes located in the forest, where no one will disturb them: holes, leaves, low-lying branches become an ideal solution for them.

Hedgehogs are easy to spot under heaps of old foliage (for example, in a forest area), in large squares or in summer cottages. Usually hedgehogs hibernate with the whole family, but you can also find lying alone – as a rule, these are young “bachelors”.

4. Destroy insect pests and rodents

If you notice a hedgehog in your summer cottage, do not drive it away, because it will become an excellent assistant for you in the fight against pests, as well as rodents.

Some seek to drive away these cute creatures, but in just a few days they are able to destroy pests such as Khrushchev and Medvedka. It can be very difficult to deal with these insects, because. they are active at night and hide underground during the day. But the hedgehog is a nocturnal animal, and these pests are not able to escape from it.

In addition, hedgehogs willingly eat fruits that have fallen from trees (this is much better than leaving them on the ground or throwing them away).

For your information: during the fruiting period, a hedgehog can harm berry and vegetable plantings, which should be taken into account. They can eat strawberries or leave zucchini bitten.

3. Fried hedgehog – a traditional gypsy dish

It is better to skip this point for the impressionable … Because many have tender feelings for touching animals – hedgehogs. Gypsies like to eat fried hedgehogs (sometimes boiled). And, I must say, this is the first and only national dish of the Polish and Baltic Gypsies, associated with a long forced life in the forests during the persecution of the Gypsies in Europe.

In Medieval books, hedgehogs were often encountered: it was believed that the meat of this animal is very useful. In particular, grated and dried hedgehog intestines were recommended for use by lepers as a cure for difficulty urinating. The advice was given in the Eberhard-Metzger Cookbook.

2. Eared hedgehogs extremely rarely curl up.

We are used to seeing a picture of a hedgehog curling up into a ball, but not everyone likes to do this. For example, eared hedgehog, even in case of danger, reluctantly curls up into a ball. If danger approaches, he prefers to run away on his small paws (by the way, he does this faster than his fellows), while hissing and bouncing.

Recall that the hedgehog curls up into a ball so that no one can grab its delicate belly (it is not protected by anything and has very delicate skin). When a hedgehog curls up, its needles are spread out in all directions. This is where the expression “You’re like a hedgehog releasing its needles”, meaning that a person does not trust anyone and is in a defensive position from the outside world.

1. Contrary to popular belief, hedgehogs don’t wear food on purpose.

On calendars and notebook covers, a hedgehog carrying fruit on its needles is a very beautiful and well-known picture from childhood, but the animals do this very rarely and not of their own free will. They accidentally prick food on themselves, but they drag the leaves on themselves into the burrow for bedding, because. hedgehogs are hibernating animals.

The myth of carrying food by hedgehogs was invented by the ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder.. Naive artists, having read the master, immediately began to depict hedgehogs hung with juicy apples in their works. And we got so carried away that these images haunt us from childhood.