Hedgehog facts 🦔 spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae скачать в хорошем качестве

Hedgehog facts 🦔 spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae

#amazinganimals facts for kids A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found through parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia and no living species native to the Americas. Hedgehogs share distant ancestry with shrews, with gymnures possibly being the intermediate link, and they have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals, they have adapted to a nocturnal way of life. Their spiny protection resembles that of the unrelated porcupines, which are rodents, and echidnas, a type of monotreme. Hedgehogs are easily recognized by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, do not easily detach from their bodies. However, the immature animal's spines normally fall out as they are replaced with adult spines. This is called "quilling". Spines can also shed when the animal is diseased or under extreme stress. Hedgehogs are usually brown, with pale tips to the spines, though blonde hedgehogs are found on the UK island of Alderney. A hedgehog that feels threatened can roll into a tight ball. All species of hedgehogs can roll into a tight ball in self-defense, causing all of the spines to point outwards. The hedgehog's back contains two large muscles that control the position of the quills. When the creature is rolled into a ball, the quills on the back protect the tucked face, feet, and belly, which are not quilled. The various species are prey to different predators: while forest hedgehogs are prey primarily to birds and ferrets, smaller species like the long-eared hedgehog are prey to foxes, wolves, and mongooses. Hedgehogs are omnivorous. They feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons and watermelons. Berries constitute a major part of an Afghan hedgehog's diet in early spring after hibernation. During hibernation, the body temperature of a hedgehog can decrease to about 2 ° Celsius . Depending on the species, the gestation period is 35 to 58 days. The average litter is 3 to 4 newborns for larger species Hedgehogs are born blind, with a protective membrane covering their quills, which dries and shrinks over the next several hours. The quills emerge through the membrane after the hoglet has been cleaned, or after the membrane falls off.