HEDGEHOG

Despite its formidable spines we all love the hedgehog. Although most of us don't see any of them, we still adore them. Apparently, they managed to survive 16 million years and now have to deal with man and their numbers dwindle rapidly.

The common hedgehog has more than 5000 spines which are sharp, brown and cream coloured 1in (20-30 mm) long.

In the family of Erinaceidae are a dozen of species and five related moonrats. They are only in Europe, Asia and Africa. All hedgehogs become dormant when food is scarce. Hedgehogs do hibernate in Europe but not in the tropics.

After hedgehog's hibernation in the winter, they have their mating season in April. This mating could be tricky for the male but the female lowers her spikes at the back. Three to five young are born in early summer in a leafy nest. When the babies are born they are blind and the quills are under their skin like pimples. Soon their prickles break through the skin. This Mother Nature has it well arrange to protect the hedgehog mother during the birth.

When the hedgehog feels threatened it curls up in a ball and the spines coming out. The more it feels threatened the tighter it curls and the more the prickles stand up. It stays like that until it feels the danger it over. That is also the reason for many hedgehogs to end up dead on the road because they don't run. Some species are not passive and ram their spikes into a snout which comes to close.

Their long legs and claws help them to climb walls. If they do fall they use their spikes as a cushion. It is assumed that they are also used to float since they are hollow with air trapped inside.

Hedgehogs are mostly active at night. Their diet is beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, slugs, carrion and occasionally bird’s eggs. They are great pest controllers and eat about 200 gr a night. Unfortunately, you can't make them stay in your garden because they are great wanderers.

They can be quite vocal and grunt, snuffle and even sometimes squeal loudly.

Their live span is about 4 - 7 years.

They share diseases with Human being such as cancer, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular.

Hedgehogs were eaten in Egypt up till and including the Middle Ages. Some folk remedies included them as an ingredient.

One sad news, experts stated that hedgehogs are in danger of extinction. According to the statistics 50 year ago there were 36 million hedgehogs but today it is estimated there are only one million. Wow this is really a record, humans can not be proud off.  It is also feared that in Britain soon there will be extinct.

One advice the expert can give is not to feed them with bread and milk because it upsets their stomach. It is better to feed them with dog or cat food or better still to crush unsalted peanuts, shelled sunflowers seed and meal worms. To put down a shallow dish of water and not a deep one in which they could drown. Also provide a corner behind the garage or shed with wild brambles and leave a pile of leaves for them to take up residence. If you have to burn the leaves make sure you check there is not one in there. Otherwise just leave the pile of leaves.