Why do hedgehogs need needles? Research work "Why do hedgehogs need needles?"
Needles- This is a prickly shell that protects the animal from threats. An adult hedgehog has up to 5000 - 6000 thousand needles, 2-3 cm long and approximately 1 mm wide. The needles are spindle-shaped: their thickest part is in the center. Their color is grayish, however, if you look closely, you can see that they have alternating black and light stripes.
The hedgehogs appear naked and not prickly. However, after a few hours they are covered with snow-white and dark needles. After two weeks, children open their eyes. By this time, the needles are already hard, like those of an adult hedgehog. He may already be puffing them up. Special behavior for the sake of self-protection is characteristic of many animals. The cat hisses, arching its back upward. The bee stings. The hedgehog hides under a prickly shell.
Almost transparent ears protrude from the prickly shell, and the abdomen is unprotected and soft. Without thorns, it would be difficult for the hedgehog family to survive. But there is no need to overestimate the thorns. Some birds have rather sharp claws, and their “palms” are covered with thick skin, and the hedgehog’s spines are not scary to them.
The fox does not have such “mittens”. However, they say that she also loves to eat hedgehog meat. If there is a river or puddle nearby, the fox will carefully roll the ball towards the water. The hedgehog must turn around willy-nilly. This is what the fox needs.
It is believed that the hedgehog needs thorns to store mushrooms and apples. How not to remember the illustrations by V. Suteev! On their thorns the hedgehog holds an apple. Many people incorrectly believe that hedgehogs eat apples and mushrooms. However, this is not true.
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Imagine, it turns out that not all hedgehogs need needles, because reading Brem and his descriptions of various animals in the section on the hedgehog family, it is said that of the existing 19 species, 4 living in South Asia do not have spines. And we had to look for these hedgehogs, which turned out to be more similar in appearance to rats, such as the gymnur, the one in the photograph, which has the most impressive dimensions among hedgehogs, about 40 cm, if you take measurements from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. And one more thing distinctive property needleless hedgehogs - this is the number of teeth, the gymnur has 40, and the prickly counterparts have 36. But, let’s return to the animals with needles, because What interests us in this question is the peculiarity of using needles.
So, as A. Brem writes about distinctive features hedgehogs: these are 36 teeth and a needle-like skin, characteristic of most species. Another property is the subcutaneous muscle, with the help of which they curl up into a ball, thus protecting themselves from enemies. Plus, almost complete immunity from snake venom and the ability to hibernate during cold weather northern regions their habitat, and during drought - in hot ones. Otherwise, eating mice, night look life and the birth of 3-8 cubs is a fairly typical idea of hedgehogs. And yet there are no details about the needles!
We are looking further. Because This question was included in the program on 06/02/17. at the "Field of Miracles" then the answer is already known - it’s a shock absorber, but you can imagine the principle of action of needles, because, as described in zoological books, they look like a spindle, such a “stick” is thick in the middle and tapering towards both ends, because when a hedgehog rolls in a ball along the path where the tubercles are, its needle-like shock absorbers work like springs, which is why the animal does not feel these travel vibrations (interference) on its way.
P.S. Caught my eye interesting fact about hedgehogs: it turns out that they actually carry apples, like mushrooms, on their needles. But they do this not for supplies, as many people believe, but in order to clean their shock absorbers - the needles. Conspirators, hmm!
Notice this guest on summer cottage sometimes it's not easy. Hedgehogs are rather unceremonious creatures, but timid and prefer to stay awake at night.. The territory that they go around in search of food is quite vast, but this food in dacha villages often has nothing in common with the natural food of hedgehogs. IN wildlife Hedgehogs feed on insects, invertebrates, amphibians, and eggs of birds nesting on the ground. In summer cottages, hedgehogs collect leftover food from people, steal cat food and dog bowls, “graze” near composts where scraps are dumped.
Hedgehog hiding in the grass
A common stereotype about a hedgehog dragging an apple on its needles is a myth.. Hedgehogs use needles for their intended purpose - to protect themselves from enemies. In the wild, almost all predators of adult hedgehogs are such larger in size. Hedgehogs are relatively easy prey for birds of prey, and for small predators. In dacha areas, dogs and people become enemies of hedgehogs. If from the first healthy hedgehogs They run away quite quickly, the latter sometimes do not know pity, considering the hedgehog a pest capable of destroying a priceless garden harvest.
Hedgehogs do not dare to destroy crops, fruit and vegetable diet does not play a significant role in their nutrition. The potential danger of hedgehogs to humans is quite long list diseases that the hedgehog is a carrier of. First of all, hedgehogs suffer from rabies. And contrary to the frivolous disbelief of uneducated summer residents, rabies is serious illness ending in disability or death. In the Moscow region, as well as in New Moscow, there are enough cases of rabies being detected, so basic safety measures cannot be neglected. There is no need to touch the hedgehog, pick it up, or try to squeeze it..
In addition to rabies, hedgehogs carry salmonellosis (acute infectious disease, intestinal infection), leptospirosis (infectious jaundice with severe disease), dermatomycosis (skin fungi).
A hedgehog can settle in a summer cottage: under woodpiles, warehouses of wood materials, under gazebos and garden pavilions with low foundations. In this case, it is not difficult to detect a neighbor - usually hedgehogs lay out their own specific routes, on which they are easy to notice. Hedgehogs are solitary animals, so one animal always lives in the nest/burrow, with the exception of the period of raising offspring.
Occasionally, hedgehogs conflict with cats, although, according to my observations, this only happens if a particular cat lacks brains. However, a consistent and rapid disappearance of cat food left out overnight may indicate good appetite Not even a cat at all, but an ordinary hedgehog. Also, an indirect sign of a hedgehog’s proximity can be the active destruction of bumblebee nests, which were not noticeable at all until the moment of destruction.
A hedgehog as a neighbor in the country is both a funny creature and at the same time troublesome, especially if small hedgehogs appear in the nest. Newborn hedgehogs - naked pink creatures, absolutely helpless and from the point of view of lovers of touching wushi-pusi, not very cute. Unfortunately, I know of cases where hedgehogs accidentally found in a nest were killed, mistaking them for baby rats. Alas, this may be why the common hedgehog is included in the Red Book of Moscow. True city dwellers are too afraid of all living things.
Sometimes gardeners take hedgehogs and especially come into the house, trying to turn the prickly creature into pet. But in addition to the above-mentioned dangers of infectious diseases, it should be borne in mind that Hedgehogs are not at all suitable for living in an apartment. Firstly, they are nocturnal. Stomping and snorting are not the best accompaniment to a night's sleep. And solving toilet problems can tire even a patient animal lover. Secondly, in captivity with abundant food and sedentary During their lifetime, hedgehogs grow up to 50 cm in length and gain body weight up to 2-3 kg. This is a fairly large animal for a small apartment, taking into account the fact that hedgehogs are not able to jump onto the sofa. Thirdly, on winter period hedgehogs hibernate. And in a city apartment it is not at all easy to create conditions for this hibernation. Not to mention the fact that a hibernating animal is not at all the type of pet that city dwellers usually dream about.
An ordinary hedgehog lives in the forest, in a park, in a grove, and can be found in a vegetable garden. While moving, it makes many characteristic sounds: rustling leaves, sniffing loudly, and smacking its lips while eating.
When enemies approach, it takes a characteristic defensive pose - curls up into a ball using special muscles on its back. It exposes its needles to predators, and hides its unprotected muzzle under a thorny shield.
Quills are a protective tool for a hedgehog.
Needles are protective device necessary for survival in times of danger.
An adult has up to 16 thousand needles, they are 2-3 cm long and about 1 mm thick. The shape of the needles resembles a spindle: their thickest part is in the middle. The color of the needles is gray, but upon careful examination you can notice alternating dark and light stripes in their color.
Hedgehogs are born naked and not prickly. They become covered with white and dark needles after a few hours, and their eyes open after two weeks. The needles quickly become hard, like those of an adult hedgehog. The baby's needles may already be bristling. Such defensive reaction necessary in environment, because the hedgehog has many enemies. In moments of danger to life, all animals exhibit a natural reaction: a cat hisses, arching its back upward, a bee stings, and a hedgehog hides its soft body under a prickly shell.
In the absence of thorns, it would be difficult for hedgehogs to survive in the environment. The abdomen of hedgehogs is unprotected, tender, almost transparent ears protrude from the prickly shell. But even needles do not always help preserve the life of an animal. Some birds of prey have rather sharp claws and a powerful beak; moreover, their “palms” are covered with thick scales, and they are not afraid of hedgehog spines.
The fox does not have such “mittens”. But hedgehog meat is a tasty prey for her. Having found a thorny ball, he carefully rolls it towards the water and pushes it into a puddle or river. The hedgehog must turn around, exposing its defenseless belly to the predator. And the fox was waiting for this.
The hedgehog itself is a predator (sometimes it hunts mice), replacing the domestic cat.
It is generally believed that hedgehogs need spines to pick mushrooms and apples and store supplies for future use. There is such an image of the animal in V. Suteev’s illustration! A hedgehog holds an apple on its thorns. There was an erroneous assumption that hedgehogs eat mushrooms and apples. But this is fiction.
The hedgehog is a predator based on its feeding method. In some homes, he replaces the cat, catching mice. Of course, he doesn’t specifically hunt mice; this is not in the rules of a calm animal, because he doesn’t run that fast to catch a nimble rodent. Hedgehogs also do not know how to watch for prey.
The basis of hedgehogs' diet is insects.
Snakes are unlikely to occupy a prominent place in the diet of hedgehogs. But there are facts indicating the emergence huge amount snakes in places where hedgehogs were destroyed. It is known that to snake poisons the animals are practically not susceptible. By exposing its prickly side, the hedgehog deftly avoids the poisonous teeth of the snake. Hedgehogs are insectivorous animals; their diet consists of beetles, larvae, various insects, and sometimes berries. The animal usually absorbs an amount of food equal to its own weight. In the spring, the hedgehog, hungry during the winter, becomes more voracious.
Hedgehogs spend the winter alone, climbing into a specially prepared hole. During hibernation they use subcutaneous fat, accumulated since the fall. They do not stock any mushrooms or berries. Hedgehogs string apples, mushrooms and even leaves onto their spines solely for hygienic purposes. In this way, they take a kind of “shower”, cleansing their body and needles of dirt.
Hedgehogs - frequent guests personal plots.
People have been familiar with this animal for a long time. In the ancient world, hedgehog skins were dried and stretched on wooden planks to form combs - combs for sheep's wool. Animals are difficult to train; you should not try to tame them, although animals can live in a house and wake up its inhabitants at night. But hedgehogs will not exchange green grass and earth for milk and meat.
It would seem that the residents of our country should know everything about hedgehogs, since this animal often lives near human habitation. However, I still never cease to be amazed that most of my compatriots, when the conversation turns to these wonderful animals, begin to tell the most fantasy stories that have nothing to do with reality. As it turns out, they actually know little about the lifestyle of their prickly neighbor.
In this article I want to outline the most popular myths about hedgehogs and then expose them. But let's talk about everything in order.
1. Hedgehogs eat berries, mushrooms and fruits.
This myth seems to have been created by children's book illustrators who had never even seen a hedgehog. Their pictures often depict something very vaguely reminiscent of a real hedgehog in the company of boletuses, apples or strawberries. Moreover, sometimes it follows from the picture that the hedgehog is thus making supplies for the winter.
The last statement generally belongs to the category science fiction. This animal sleeps all winter dead asleep and only during thaws does it sometimes wake up briefly. Why does he need supplies with such a lifestyle? Why would they rot in a hole? So it won’t take long to suffocate.
But the most interesting thing is that I don’t need the above-mentioned products in the summer. This creature is an active and ruthless predator whose dinner consists mainly of insects, but also mice and frogs. The hedgehog does not digest plant food, so it does not even take it into its mouth. Sometimes he can be found examining rotten fruits or vegetables. However, in this case the animal is not interested in the fruits themselves, but in the insect larvae hiding in them.
2. The hedgehog carries its prey on its back, impaling it on needles.
Those who think so, let them try tying an apple to their hair and walking around with it for at least a few minutes. I am sure that they will be very uncomfortable in such a situation. But hedgehog needles are the same as hair; they are very fragile in the skin. Therefore, the hedgehog simply cannot carry any apple on its needles; it will lose all the needles along the way (and, as we just found out, it has absolutely no need for an apple).
The only thing a hedgehog can carry on its needles without harm to health is moss and dry leaves. He uses his back like this in an unusual way when they start autumn frosts and you need to insulate your winter hole.
Sometimes hedgehogs even prick half-smoked cigarettes or cigarette butts onto their needles. Why he does this - no one still knows. The hedgehog himself, perhaps, too, since he is not particularly intelligent.
3. A hedgehog always has a home.
The hedgehog builder is, frankly, disgusting. The most his architectural talents can do is make a small hut of grass in which the animal sleeps during the daytime. Hedgehogs do not dig burrows even when the first frost sets in, preferring to spend the winter in other people's abandoned dwellings, for example, in a rabbit hole.
Each hedgehog has its own individual hunting area, but it does not have a permanent shelter. Apparently due to the fact that he is extremely sloppy and makes quite a lot of noise. strong smell. With such habits, any home will soon turn into a fetid cesspool, in which he himself will be very uncomfortable.
4. The hedgehog is a very kind and friendly animal.
Among the inhabitants of our forests, it is difficult to imagine a more aggressive, evil and quarrelsome creature. Hedgehogs even treat each other very unkindly, let alone all other animals. These creatures divide all the inhabitants of our planet into two categories: “food” and “enemies”. They don't have "friends".
An ordinary hedgehog living in the Moscow region is not yet the most evil among its relatives. Where worse character from a long-eared hedgehog living in the south of Russia (and this is what is most often sold in pet stores now). These spiny monsters literally rush at everything that moves. It is interesting that, unlike other hedgehogs, the long-eared hedgehog, even in extreme danger, prefers not to curl up in a ball, but to actively attack. Hedgehogs have teeth that are bent back, so the wounds that the animal inflicts on its prey have ragged edges, which is why they heal very poorly.
Because of such an evil disposition real hedgehogs, unlike fairy tales, never form married couples. The female allows the male to approach her only once a year. During the breeding season. Having done their job, the hedgehogs disperse and try never to meet again, because any chance meeting can end in a brutal fight.
The hedgehog father does not take any part in raising the offspring. Hedgehogs stay close to their mother for the first month of their life, and then quickly leave her. By the way, when summer residents see two or three hedgehogs traveling together, this means that they have met a hedgehog with grown-up hedgehogs who still continue to feed on her milk.
True, it is possible to tame a hedgehog. Some of the pet hedgehogs I knew personally were quite sociable, playing with their owners and even allowing them to pet them. However, even they bit from time to time, and it was impossible to stop them from doing so. So even pet hedgehog You shouldn't trust it too much.
Moreover, under no circumstances should you keep two hedgehogs in the same cage. It may end up with one eventually eating the other.
5. The hedgehog is a very slow creature.
I wouldn't say that. Maximum speed The movement of this spiky “armored personnel carrier” is 3 meters per second. So I don’t recommend running a race with him, maybe he’ll overtake him.
6. The hedgehog is active at night and sleeps during the day.
In fact, a hedgehog usually sleeps for 3-4 hours straight, and then wakes up and is awake for 2-3 hours. If the day is cloudy, then he can wander around his area in search of food, and if it is very light in the forest, he hides somewhere in a dark place. Eared hedgehogs They often go for walks on clear days.
At night, the hedgehog may also not leave its shelter, especially if something happens early spring or late autumn when frosts are common at night.
7. Hedgehogs are active fighters poisonous snakes.
This is a clear exaggeration. Of course, in spring or autumn, in the absence of insects, a hedgehog can attack a viper, which is quite passive due to low temperatures. But he does this only if there is no food nearby. The hedgehog has no particular gastronomic love for snakes; he likes frogs better.
8. A fox, when hunting a hedgehog curled up in a ball, pushes it into the river. The animal turns around and she grabs it.
The fox, unlike humans, knows very well that the hedgehog swims and dives well. So if she does this, she will most likely end up without lunch.
I myself watched several times how a hedgehog dived into a shallow barrel for snails. By my calculations, it can stay underwater for about 3 minutes.
9. Hedgehog quills are poisonous.
Indeed, sometimes after pricking a hedgehog with a needle, the victim’s skin begins to itch and turn red. Such an allergic reaction can be caused by the fact that animal saliva often remains on the tip of the needle. However, it is also not poisonous, it simply has strong antiseptic properties. The hedgehog quite often licks its quills, thereby protecting itself from ticks that annoy it.
But this animal collects ticks on itself from wherever possible. The fact is that the hedgehog is not able to get rid of these annoying arachnids that have climbed between the needles on their own. For spring season each animal feeds tens of thousands of ixodid ticks on itself; Even a special unit for counting ticks in natural foci has been included in the literature - “every hour”, meaning the number of ticks, collected by a hedgehog for an hour of running through a focal area of the forest.
So it’s not surprising that such a life will make you start licking your own needles.
10. A hedgehog is a rodent close relative porcupine.
A hedgehog has nothing to do with rodents, much less a porcupine. He is a representative of the order of insectivores, his closest relatives are the mole, shrew and muskrat. They are simply similar to the porcupine in that they have the same method of defense against enemies - hair transformed into sharp quills. However, the porcupine, a typical vegetarian rodent, has much more friendly character and developed intelligence.