Hedgehog Kendra Thoen Erinaceinae 15 species the hedgehog

Hedgehog Kendra Thoen

Erinaceinae ● 15 species ● the hedgehog was named because these animals root through & other undergrowth in search of food ● closely related to the shrew family ● unrelated to the porcupine even though they look alike

Size: head & body, 5 to 12 inches tail, 1 to 2 inches Weight: 14 to 39 oz

population Hedgehogs now appear to be declining at the same rate that tigers are globally - around 5% a year in rural and urban areas

Group: Array or Prickle Young: Hoglet Left: Male hedgehog called a boar. Right: Female hedgehog called a sow.

mating ● ● usually solitary, pairing up only to mate when they mate they make loud snuffling noises the male circles the female to persuade her to mate they separate after & the male takes no part in the family

reproduction ● hedgehogs meet sexual maturity during the 2 nd year of life ● reproduction can occur anytime between Sept & April, but the period of greatest activity occurs in May & June Gestation Period: 30 to 40 days

the hedgehog life ● hedgehogs are born blind & their spines are soft ● their mother will feed them until they can hunt for themselves ● after about 4 weeks, the mom will take her young out for their 1 st hunting trip & then 10 days after that the family will separate ● starting in Oct they build nests of leaves & grass so they can hibernate when winter comes ● lifespan is 2 to 5 years

habitat ● mainly hedgerows, woodland meadows ● also found in sub-urban gardens ● within their habitat, they normally have a few sleeping nests ● hedgehogs are nocturnal, after dusk they leave nests to forage for food

diet ● insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs & snakes ● some people think hedgehogs are useful pets because they prey on many common garden pests ● while they hunt, they rely upon their senses of hearing and smell because their eyesight is weak

food chain

facts ● coats are thick & spiney, provides defense against fox ● when they feel alarmed, they’ll curl up into a ball to protect their stomach ● have about 5000 spines, each spine lasts about a year then drops out & a replacement grows ● may be up to 500 fleas on 1 hedgehog, this hedgehog flea rarely bites humans

works cited http: //animals. nationalgeographic. com/animals/mammals/hedgehog/ http: //www. hedgehogcentral. com/wild. shtml http: //www. onekind. org/be_inspired/animals_a_z/hedgehog/ http: //www. hedgehogstreet. org/pages/breeding-and-babies. html