The Life of Animals | Hedgehog | Hedgehogs are easily Recognized by Their spines, the which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a Porcupine, can not easily be removed from the hedgehog. However, spines normally come out a hedgehog sheds baby spines and replaces Them with adult spines. This is called "quilling." When under extreme stress or During sickness, a hedgehog can also lose spines. A defense That all species of hedgehogs possess is the ability to roll into a tight ball, Causing all of the spines to point outwards. This results in a different number of predators for different species: while forest hedgehogs have Relatively few, primarily birds (ESPECIALLY Owls) and ferrets, Smaller species like the Long-eared Hedgehog are preyed on by foxes, wolves and mongooses.
Hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, although, Depending on the species, They may be more or less active During the day. Again, different species can have slightly different habits, but in general hedgehogs dig dens for shelter. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, although not all do; hibernation depends on temperature, species, and Abundance of food. The hedgehog's back is made up of two large muscles, the which control the positioning of its quills.
The hedgehog uses its quills to Protect Itself from predators, using the which muscles draw quilled Their skins to cover Their full body, and pulling in the parts of Their bodies not covered, Such as Their heads, feet, and belly. This form of defense is the hedgehog's most Successful, but is usually Their last resort. Hedgehogs have many alternate defense Mechanisms. Hedgehogs occasionally perform a ritual anointing Called.
In captivity, hedgehogs growing niche to get along with dogs, cats and other pets. On the rare Occasions Pls They do feel Threatened by these animals, the hedgehog Will roll into a ball until the threatening animal disappears. Still, care is taken to protect Should Be hedgehogs from particularly large, aggressive, or Mischievous pets. The average litter is 3-4 newborns for larger species and 5-6 for Smaller ones. As with many animals, it is not unusual for an adult male hedgehog to kill newborn males. The hedgehog's dilemma is based on the apparent danger of a male hedgehog being injured by a spine while ing with a female hedgehog. Relatively hedgehogs have a long lifespan for Their size.
Hedgehogs are born blind. The hedgehogs are birthed with a protective membrane covering Their quills, the which dries and shrinks over the next Several hours. Hedgehogs were the resource persons Eaten in Ancient Egypt, and some recipes of the Late Middle Ages call for hedgehog meat. In the Middle East and ESPECIALLY Among Bedouins, hedgehog meat is Considered medicinal, and thought to cure Rheumatism and arthritis. The animal is then cleaned and roasted or boiled egg During the 1980s, "hedgehog-flavor" crisps were the resource persons introduced in Britain, although the product did not contain any hedgehog
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