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Long-eared hedgehog is a mammal animal belonging to the hedgehog family. He is the smallest representative of his kind. The main feature of eared hedgehogs is elongated, protruding and very noticeable ears. With the help of his ears, he regulates body temperature, cooling through them at moments of overheating. This is due to closely spaced capillaries, expanding at high temperature, and cooling the body.
The species of eared hedgehogs includes several species:
- Indian hedgehog;
- long needle;
- eared;
- blue-bellied hedgehog;
- collared;
- Ethiopian.
The habitat of eared hedgehogs is very small. They are distributed mainly in North Africa, Europe and Asia. Eared hedgehog is found in Russia.
Appearance
The eared hedgehog does not exceed the size of an ordinary one. The length of his body is from 25 to 30 cm, and the weight can reach 600 grams. The most weighty representatives of the genus are Long-needle hedgehogs. They can gain weight up to 900 grams.
Grayish needles are thin and short, covering his entire back. Sometimes the color of the needles can become whitish. There are no needles on the muzzle, abdomen and sides - they are replaced by light soft fur. The color of the face can be found from dark brown to light gray.
The head is small, the face is oblong, the ears are much larger than the parameters of the head. In the mouth of the hedgehog there are 36 sharp teeth.
Lifestyle and character
The habitat of a male hedgehog can reach 5 hectares, while females in possession of smaller territories - only 2-3 hectares.
It is interesting! In one night, the animal can run a distance of 8 kilometers.
The hedgehog's home is a hole that they dig up to a depth of 1.5 meters. Sometimes they just find an abandoned hole and occupy it. In the fall, hedgehogs become lethargic. At the first appearance of snow, they gradually begin to go into hibernation. But the Eared Hedgehog’s dream is sensitive, he wakes up during hibernation, sometimes even eating. A place to sleep is a mink dug under a fallen tree, or at the foot of a hill.
In the northern territories, hedgehogs hibernate more often than in the southern territories. Wake up with the onset of spring. In India, for example, a hedgehog can go into hibernation for a period of about three months, and in Pakistan, where it is cold in the mountains in winter, animals sleep from late autumn to early spring.
In arid places, hedgehogs have a hard time. Lack of food, water - all this is not an easy test for a small animal. In such places, hedgehogs look for the most humid areas, where vegetation is most common and there is at least some water. It is for such conditions that they need big ears. In the desert, the air warms up to very high temperatures, and the ears of the hedgehogs save them from heat stroke.
These animals rarely settle in one place. They can stay in search of all the best and best areas for food for a long time.
Eared hedgehog at home
Keeping an eared hedgehog at home is pretty easy. In general, he lives in captivity without problems if he was taken at an early age. This animal is well accustomed to living in cells. If the hedgehog is in the house as an adult, then for him this can be a lot of stress, because of which the animal is likely to die. You can’t take these animals home after finding them in the forest, as they carry many diseases.The most favorable habitat for the hedgehog is a will, where it will bring more benefits, in comparison with the fact that he will spend his life in a cage senselessly.
Hedgehog food can be found in many pet stores. Today, the Long-eared Hedgehog, living at home in a cage, is far from rare. You can buy a prickly baby in specialized nurseries. In a pet store, the cost fluctuates around 4000-7000 thousand rubles. About 5,000 rubles will also be needed to buy a cage and all the necessary equipment for maintenance.
A hedgehog needs a spacious, large cage or wooden box that will have high sides. The material that is poured into the cage is, first of all, sawdust, dry grass, straw. No newspapers or papers, such materials will be inconvenient for the hedgehog.
When buying a hedgehog, do not forget that the cage should be cleaned of feces all the time, the bowls should be beaten clean, water is always poured. In dirty conditions, an eared hedgehog can easily catch an infection and die quickly without proper help.
Eared hedgehogs are very fond of free spaces. Therefore, simply putting the animal in a cage and forgetting about it will not work. It is necessary to walk the animal at least 2 times a day for several hours in the room or in the summer (under supervision) on the street.
At night, the hedgehog will behave loudly, because it is a nocturnal animal. Therefore, if you have a sensitive dream, you have to think about a separate room for the animal. When starting an Eared Hedgehog, think a few times. This animal is not adapted to life in the apartment.
What to feed?
Favorite food of these animals - ants, beetles and insect larvae, various edible seeds, juicy berries. Sometimes small rodents or lizards can serve as food for hedgehogs. In addition, hedgehogs eat toads or shellfish. He can go hunting long distances, creating new dwellings for himself along the way, or occupying old burrows. Hedgehogs have good hearing, thanks to this they very quickly find prey and get it out of hard-to-reach places.
Hedgehogs very rarely eat vegetation. But sometimes young flowers, shoots and fruits appear in their diet.
An eared hedgehog is very difficult to fill your stomach to the full. He is constantly on the lookout for edibles. But, if nothing can be found, then the hedgehogs easily experience a lack of food and water for 10 days.
Fact! Hibernating hedgehogs need to gain as much fat as possible during the season. Therefore, during wakefulness they are in constant search for food.
Animals living in more southern territories almost never hibernate. The only exceptions are cases when there is too little food in the habitat due to, for example, a dry summer.
Reproduction and longevity
Sexual maturity in females occurs earlier than in males. So, the females of the Eared Hedgehogs mature by the end of the first year of life. Males enter the age of sexual maturity only by two years.
The mating season comes with the onset of the spring thaw. The northern representatives of this period begins in late March - early April. In southern individuals, in early June. In the mating season, animals produce a pungent odor that attracts individuals to each other. Several males are fighting for the same female. They arrange battles and bite into tender places: ears, noses, paws. The female is attracted by the strongest and dominant.
As soon as the mating has occurred, the male is removed to its territory, and the female begins to search for a home for the birth of babies. She has a hedgehog for one month. 8-10 pieces are born in broods, during this period they are naked, blind and deaf. Hedgehogs open their eyes about a month after birth. This month, they actively eat mother’s milk, and then gradually switch to an independent search for food. As soon as the hedgehog reaches two months, they begin to search for territory for independent living.
Life expectancy of eared hedgehogs at home can be 6-8 years.But in nature they live much less due to high competition and the presence of a large number of predators, the hedgehogs are waiting for them on the way. Hedgehogs like animals such as foxes, badgers, wolves.
Big-eared hedgehog in the red book
In Russia, it occurs mainly in the steppe regions and in warm, as well as in temperate climates. Farmers appreciate hedgehogs - they destroy harmful insects, causing tremendous damage to the crop.
Who hunts a hedgehog?
Eared hedgehogs are afraid of large predators: bears, foxes, dogs, badgers. Foxes are trying to drive the hedgehog into the water - there he is helpless. In the water, the hedgehog has to swim, he straightens out of the lump and the fox grabs his nose. A badger against a hedgehog has a powerful weapon - sharp long claws and a wonderful scent.
Video: big-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus)
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