What is a Hedgehog?
Among the fifteen old world species, hedgehog poses several thousand short smooth spines. They weigh around 1.5 pounds (700 grams). The common hedgehog from western Europe weighs 1100 grams. Hedgehogs have a sparse fur tail that is 1 to 6 cm. Their body length is 5.5 to 12 inches. Hedgehogs belong to several places. Eurasia has three species of hedgehogs, Africa has 4 species of hedgehogs, and Deserts have six species of hedgehogs. Two species of hedgehogs belong to the Steppe region. Like African pygmy hedgehogs, European Hedgehogs are also kept as pets. Hedgehog species from the desert have larger ears and longer legs, while other species are shorter. They have white-brownish faces with a mask pattern. They have thin and very short limbs with larger feet and big curved claws. To locate food, hedgehogs use their acute sense of smell. We will further discuss hedgehogs in detail.
Domestic Hedgehog
Affectionately stroking a bristly hairbrush is the same as petting a happy hedgehog. If you try to pet an upset hedgehog, it's more like dealing with a wriggly cactus. Audiences often question people with pet hedgehogs for such an unusual liking. Why do people love domestic hedgehogs? Some people want pets to cuddle without getting a fur allergy. So they choose hedgehog, although it's very complicated to select the correct breed. You have to deal slowly and with a calm mind. Most people believe that wild animals should live in the wilds. Hedgehog lovers claim that cats and dogs are wild, but somewhere people should start with domestic hedgehogs. To tame a hedgehog as a pet, people need to study their wild nature.
Pet A Hedgehog
Follow these points for a domestic hedgehog:
Responsible Hedgehog Breeders
Unlike other domestic animals, detailed homework on a hedgehog is required before buying them. Domestic hedgehogs weigh around 1 pound, and their life span is four to six years. Owners keep them in a flat bottomed cage. They feed it dry cat food supplemented with low-fat mealworms, crickets, and vegetables. Before petting a hedgehog, owners need to participate in the international hedgehog association to know their nature. Every day a pet hedgehog rises as the sun sets. It munches on the light breakfast and gets ready for a quick jog.
His quills show a range of emotions. Flat when calm, raising it with uncertainty and transfers into an impenetrable spiky ball when frightened. Scaling the ever-changing topography, the hedgehog will climb around its owner. It can steal shoelaces, socks when it is feisty. It becomes happy to find a good and fascinating smell with its twitching nose.
Unusual Smelling Sense
Every hedgehog has a great sense of smell which they rub all over their body. Wild hedgehogs love the smell of cigarettes and turpentine. It has a habit of anointing, that is to rub the smell all over its body. They have an immune system that naturally protects them from toxins. It has a habit of building up a smelly froth. Like an uncoordinated kitten, it spreads the foamy spits all over its squill. This behaviour appears cute for their owners. The reason behind the anointing of hedgehogs is unknown, but it helps them to camouflage their scent. The smell of carrots and musical instruments attracts some pet hedgehogs. The carrots can turn their quills orange, and the metal from the musical instruments turn it oily and metally. Domestic hedgehogs are kept clean but allowed to maintain their anointing for a day at least. Owners use a soft-bristled brush to clean the quills gently.
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Hedgehogs' Nocturnal Habit
Exotic pets come with more responsibilities than normal ones. Special veterinary and expensive treatments are required to keep a healthy hedgehog. From the African hedgehog species, domestic hedgehogs are hybrid and a little away from the wild generations. Domestic hedgehogs are not purely tamed. They also possess astringent nature. Since hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, disturbing their sleep cycle during the daytime is a bad idea. Few hours can be spent with the hedgehogs since it is nocturnal. Hedgehogs have light-sensitive eyes with them, which can better adapt to a red colour or dimmed atmosphere. Hedgehogs can run miles like marathoners. They practice running after a mild breakfast on the wheels. Owners should provide a solid surface for the hedgehogs to run since they are not very graceful creatures. It also has a habit of burro dens at night which can create a mess. Hedgehogs betray the night routine and have a continuous eating and drinking habit along with running. Hedgehogs find their toys as their friend and take them on an adventurous wheel ride. They also love to sleep with their toys before another adventurous night appears.
Do Hedgehogs Hibernate?
Hedgehogs hibernate when the temperature around them falls very low below 22 degrees Celsius. They become lethargic and unable to stand a few days before hibernation. Hedgehogs eat a lot during autumn to prepare for their hibernation. They munch on beetles, earthworms, and caterpillars they can find. It helps them to store a good amount of fat and protein for winter hibernations. Hibernaculum is a shelter built by the hedgehogs during the winter season. It uses soil, dead leaves, twigs, and feathers to make it. Sometimes they take up residence in under garden sheds, stacks of compost heaps, and logs in urban areas. Hedgehog hibernation depends on the weather. It has a period from October to April. They search for quiet, dark spaces for hibernation with all the reserved food and energy. Sometimes hedgehogs are out until December and in warmer winter times. Owners usually keep the room warm with a heater when the temperature is low. Special heating equipment present in their cages also keeps them warm. Use a heat map, heating lamp, and a low-watt heater to keep the room warm. A hedgehog should never be kept in a closed room where it cannot distinguish between day and night. It will disturb the body cycle of the hedgehog.
Hedgehog Vs Porcupine
Difference Between Hedgehog Vs Porcupine is Mentioned below:
Porcupine lies under Eulipotyphla class, and hedgehog lies under Rodentia class.
Porcupine is generally found in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, whereas hedgehog is found in Asia, Europe, and Africa.
A Porcupine is a rodent mammal with spines over its body and tail, whereas a hedgehog is a nocturnal mammal with a spiny body and legs.
Porcupines inhabit grasslands, forests, and deserts, whereas hedgehogs live in dry spots like hedges, bushes, or buildings.
Porcupines are generally 20 to 35 inches long and hedgehogs are generally 5-10 inches long.
Porcupines are about 10-15 kg in weight, whereas compared to porcupines, hedgehogs are very lightweight, about 1 kg in weight.
Porcupines have rounded faces, but hedgehogs have triangle faces.
Porcupines have comparatively large feet with long claws, whereas hedgehogs have short feet with short claws.
Porcupines are herbivorous animals, whereas hedgehogs are carnivorous animals.
Porcupines have 2 to 3 inches long quills, whereas hedgehogs' quills are 1 inch long.
Porcupines protect themselves by detaching quills from their body which get stuck in the body of predators. Hedgehogs protect themselves by rolling them inside like a ball, and quills outside, protecting them from predators.
Porcupines live up to an average of thirty years, whereas hedgehogs live up to 2-10 years.
Conclusion
Hedgehogs will tolerate one another only during courtship and until the young are four to seven weeks old. Since hedgehogs are the most primitive animals, we must preserve them. We need to make our atmosphere suitable for a hedgehog to survive and raise the young. There are various kinds of hedgehog, and we need to respect their habits and body cycle. People need to study their features and behaviours before petting them, although they are beautiful in their natural habitat. Reducing pesticides and deforestation can stop the declining population of hedgehogs.
FAQs on Hedgehogs
1. What is a Hedgehog Unique Habits Possessed?
Ans: Hedgehogs have an acute sense of smell with which they can smell food and grab active prey. They snuffle and snort the prey while completely manipulating it with the mouth and make a smacking sound with the help of their jaws. Hedgehogs enjoy insects, venomous spiders, and scorpions, slugs, frogs, snails, toads, snakes, bird eggs, and lizards. It produces copious frothy saliva after chewing unfamiliar substances and plastering it in between the quills. During the daytime, hedgehogs are rarely up following a rainy day. They excavate with the help of their forefeet beneath vegetation, in Rock crevices, beneath overhanging rock ledges, or in burrows. Hedgehogs use rapid steps to cover distance and frequently smell the air. During hibernation, its heartbeat reduces from 190 to 20 beats per minute with ten inhalations per minute.
2. Describe the Unique Body Feature of Hedgehogs?
Ans: some desert hedgehogs have larger years and longer legs. Except for the underside, face, legs, and ears, their whole stocky body consists of a dense covering of spines. The spines have brown and black bands with cream-colour strokes and colouration ranges from speckled cream to brown in the upper parts. A sparse coarse coat covers the underneath of the body. The face is white and brown with a mask pattern. Hedgehogs have very thin and short legs with shorter feet. The foot is led by longer, sharper claws. In some species, the first toe is very small or found missing. It has large but weak eyesight. But the sense of hearing and smell is perfect. Its face has a tapered nose with conspicuous hearing ears. Hedgehogs crouch their spines with the slightest sense of danger. These were some unique body features of a hedgehog.
3. Briefly Explain Some Different Types of Hedgehogs.
Ans: All over the world, different types of hedgehogs are widely recognized. One of the most familiar wild animals of the UK is hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are found in the corners of gardens and parks where they can happily raise their young and easily prey on food. They are mostly seen during April and October since they hibernate. Southern white-breasted hedgehogs build nests with grasses in a secluded region rather than digging a den. Like European hedgehogs, they have all similar features except the white chest. Northern white-breasted hedgehogs are termed subspecies of European species. The species extends as far as Austria and Poland in the west and Greece in the south. Some species are found in lowland China and open-type forests. Amur hedgehogs are lightly coloured and larger than others. Many more species like African pygmy hedgehogs, Somali hedgehogs, Indian long-eared hedgehogs are present.
4. Can Children Play With Hedgehogs?
Ans: Hedgehogs like to play with young children but love to play with older ones. Children do not possess a socializing habit with hedgehogs nor take any responsibility to learn their wild habits. Hence they easily treat and love a hedgehog-like any other normal pets. A pet will become hostile towards people, making them resent it if not socialized. People will not be able to pick up a hedgehog easily if that's the case. It results in a snowball effect, where neither people like their pets, nor do the pets like their life. A child should be properly taught to handle a hedgehog, to prevent any injuries. Children need to be calm and play lightly with these animals so they do not trigger fear in them. It might result in a good friendship with the small creature.
5. Explain Briefly the Reason Behind Hedgehogs Declining?
Ans: The decline of hedgehogs is related to their lifestyle. Since the urban, rural, and domestic lives differ, it affects their habitat and food habits. Various researches are performed under PTES and BHPS to find the exact reason behind it. Some reasons are the use of pesticides reduces the eating variety of invertebrate hedgehogs. Larger open space and less forest make it difficult for the hedgehogs to survive. Open spaces are poor for nesting and raising the young ones. In urban areas, busy roads cause mortality, ploughing destroys permanent pastures, fencing the gardens, constructing new buildings, and pesticide plants also affect their health.
