Hedgehogs have the habit of being quiet, afraid of light, lying down during the day and going out at night. It is best to choose a quiet place with less human interference for family breeding. Families with a yard are best kept in the yard, and those without conditions can be kept on the balcony. Build a nest for hedgehogs in 80 cm square wooden boxes, and cover the nest with hay, pine leaves or straw. It is best to build a small mound or rockery with stones and mud outside the nest and plant flowers and plants for hedgehogs to use.
Hedgehogs are omnivores. In the wild, it mainly feeds on various invertebrates and small vertebrates, as well as grass roots, fruits, melons and other plants. Family feeding can be prepared by yourself, with meat residue, grain and by-products, vegetables and so on in proportion. In addition, caterpillars, beetles, snails, earthworms and other small animals and fruits can also be fed.
Hedgehogs give birth to 1-2 babies every year, each with 3-6 babies. Hedgehog has strong adaptability, few diseases and no infectious diseases. As long as the feeding management and hygiene measures are proper, hedgehogs rarely get sick. The main diseases are enteritis, beriberi and parasites. Generally, it can be treated with corresponding drugs. Because hedgehogs are docile, don't bite people at will, are simple and lovely, and are deeply loved by children, and gradually become people's favorite family pets.
Speaking of hedgehogs, they are our old acquaintances in Beijing. Every summer and autumn evening, whether it is bungalows, buildings, green spaces, park paths, or even stairwells and fallen leaves, you can see these small thorn balls busy foraging around. But who knows, this ancient neighbor of mankind is already a world-class endangered species. As a protected wild animal in Beijing, the common hedgehog has become one of the second-class protected animals in 136 and is protected by law.
Hedgehogs who live freely in the wild will remove insects, pupae, mice and snakes for parks, gardens and small yards, and are unpaid gardeners. Of course, sometimes it is inevitable to steal one or two fruits, which just shows that it is hungry. Hedgehog is a small mammal no more than 25 cm long. It has a sharp mouth, small ears and short limbs. Although weak and slow, he has good skills to protect himself. Hedgehogs have short spines, and even their short tails are buried in them. When it was attacked by the enemy, its head bent to the abdomen, its body curled up into a ball, covering its head and limbs, and its thorns stood up like steel thorns, just like the "iron thorns" on the ancient battlefield, making the attackers unable to start. Hedgehogs dig holes to build nests, hide in their nests during the day and come out after dusk. They have a keen sense of smell and feed on insects and worms, young birds, eggs, frogs and lizards. Eat some crops occasionally. Hedgehogs start to get married and have children every April, with one child a year. The hair on the newborn baby's back is sparse and soft, but it can gradually harden into thorns after a few days. I have to sleep for five months after winter before I want to come out again. Hedgehogs are heterogeneous animals, and they can't stably regulate their body temperature to keep it at the same level. Hybrids hibernate everywhere. Desert hedgehog distributed in Arabia and Sahara desert, sleeping in summer; Its relative species, the Indian hedgehog, can survive for 4 to 6 weeks without food and water, and the big-eared hedgehog also has a hibernation period in India. Hedgehog has the ability to endure the decline of body temperature and metabolic rate during dormancy, so as to survive the difficult period of cold, heat or food shortage.
Hedgehog is a very withdrawn animal. It likes to be quiet, afraid of light, heat and vibration. Once it is kept as a pet outside the wild environment, it is equivalent to sending it a "death notice". The reporter has interviewed many people who have raised hedgehogs. Except for two of them, the other hedgehogs died soon. So, please don't treat hedgehogs as pets! Generally speaking, hedgehogs stay away from human activities and like to nest on the edge of rural wasteland or beside streams. With the rapid development of real estate development in Beijing in recent years, a large number of citizens live in the suburbs and become the neighbors of wild hedgehogs. What should citizens do if they meet hedgehogs in a narrow way? Let's explain how the four seasons get along with hedgehogs.
Spring: After hibernation, the hedgehog wakes up. When the temperature rises to 10 degrees, the hedgehog will feel very thirsty and look for water urgently. Don't feed them kindly when you meet them at this time, because it will lead to death. At this time, finding a spouse is more important than finding food. Before the female hedgehog accepts the courtship, the male hedgehog will spend a few hours by her side, and then he will complete his mission. The female hedgehog began to look for a safe and quiet place as a nest for herself and her baby hedgehog born 30 days later. If you find traces of hedgehogs near the pile of wood piled up in the backyard, please postpone the spring cleaning for a while, because it is likely to have become the delivery room for female hedgehogs.
Summer: The little hedgehog was born. They have more than 100 thorns all over their bodies, and they have no vision for the first two weeks after birth. The baby is breastfed for 4-8 weeks. Then, the female hedgehog teaches how to feed. Two months later, the hedgehog mother stopped taking care of the little hedgehogs and let them live independently. Adult hedgehogs eat an average of 40 grams of food per meal. About 90% of hedgehogs live less than a year. If you want to help the hedgehog mother who is raising her young, you can sprinkle some cat food and dog food in their haunts, and never give them milk, salty bread and seasoning food.
Autumn: Hedgehogs mainly feed. You can eat 200 grams of food every night. Adult hedgehogs can weigh up to 2.5 kilograms. They use branches and weeds to build hibernating nests. Sometimes their nests have a compartment of 50 cm. They can also sleep on wooden stairs or other artificial places.
Winter: When the hedgehog hibernates in its nest, its body temperature drops to 9 degrees. Breathe 1- 10 times per minute. Litter is hedgehog's favorite hibernation place. At this time, if people burn fallen leaves, it will be a disaster for hedgehogs. The hibernating hedgehog wakes up occasionally, but doesn't eat, and soon falls asleep again. Hibernating hedgehogs will starve to death if they wake up too early.