Jerzy are small mammalian animals froma large family of hedgehogs. Their length is usually 20-30 cm. Weight - 700-800 g. Lifespan - 4-7 years. Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but quite good hearing and sense of smell. They have a practically nocturnal lifestyle. For the winter they go into hibernation. Their hearts slow the rhythm from 180 beats per minute to 20-60. And they breathe in this period only once a minute! For hibernation just need fat. His hedgehog is obliged to "work up" in the autumn. After all, if you have not gone well enough to sleep, you might even die during such a "hungry" wintering. Forages of the hedgehog never prepare for winter. Its main reserve is the well-weighted weight since autumn, a sufficient layer of warm fat. Such a hibernation lasts from October to April. From the mink prickly animals come out at a temperature of about 15 degrees.
Hedgehogs are quite interesting animals, theyperfectly run around. For example, they are able to run at an amazing speed - up to 3 m / s, perfectly able to jump and swim. Despite the frightening barbed armor, hedgehogs have enemies - foxes, wolves, mongooses, ferrets.
What the hedgehogs eat
Spiny lumps are actually omnivores.Perhaps you will be surprised at what the hedgehogs eat - they prefer live food: reptiles, invertebrates, amphibians. Therefore, they are very desirable on the land, where there are various snakes and snakes.
When he meets a viper, the hedgehog always goes outscramble winner. Its poison does not affect him, however, like many other highly poisonous substances. And did you know that they eat hedgehogs and Spanish flies containing poison that has a deadly effect on other animals? They also eat bedbugs, they are not afraid of orange caustic blood of ordinary ladybirds, venom of bumblebees, bees, hairy caterpillars.
A prickly animal can be claimed in the garden inthe flowering period of the cherry tree, when the trees are attacked by the May beetles. What the hedgehog eats at this time, and most importantly, the amount of food, is simply amazing - for one night only it can eat up to 200 g of insect pests! Therefore, the fight against the May bug with the hedgehog is very effective.
The main menu of these animals are insects(beetles, earwigs) and their larvae, kivsyaki, slugs, snails, earthworms. On vertebrates in nature, they rarely attack. From vegetable fodder, hedgehogs prefer acorns, berries, mushrooms and fruits.
If a thorny lump is in your house, you shouldKnow what to feed the hedgehog, so as not to harm a small animal. When these animals are kept in captivity, they willingly eat eggs, bread, meat. Contrary to this popular belief about the love of hedgehogs for milk, it is harmful to them, it is undesirable to give dairy products, since these animals suffer from terrible intolerance to lactose. Dog or cat food is also not suitable, because they contain too much fat and very few proteins. Of the "human" food hedgehogs are very fond of cold ice cream. The process of eating it is a rather amusing sight. In addition, they gladly eat porridge from oatmeal.
The content of hedgehogs in special institutions(shelters, animal centers) also requires special food. In this case, you need to know what the hedgehogs eat, mostly insects, of course. Semikilogram hedgehog should be allocated for one feeding 1 Madagascar cockroach (you can a large grasshopper), a dessert spoonful of plum flour worms, 6-8 crickets, 5 pieces of zoophobes. It is optimal to feed healthy adult hedgehogs no more than 2 times a day: in the morning and in the evening. Pregnant, nursing females and hedgehogs, as well as patients - at least 4 times. You can give hedgehogs to mice. If there are none, or moral principles do not allow the living to be eaten, you can give them 1 tablespoon of low-fat minced meat instead.
You can not give hedgehogs to give sausage, pork, too cold or hot food. Contraindicated to them potatoes, sweets, cabbage and products with some sharp smell.
