Hedgehog (Erinaceus)

Kingdom (Regnum): Animalia (Animal)

Phylum (Phylum): Chordata (Vertabrates)

Class (Classis): Mammalia (Mammals)

Order (Ordo): Insectivora (Insectivores)

Suborder (Subordo): Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)

Family (Familia): Erinaceidae (Erinaceus)

Species (Species): European hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus)

Habitats: They live in Europe and Asia, but now they extincted in North America. West and East Europe have been populated by West and East hedgehogs. The East kind of this animal is resident in Hungary. The European kind lives in woods, scrub lands, and the desert one lives on the edge of the Sahara Desert, between rocks and stones, roots and in scooped logs.

Morphology: Their length is about 20-35 cm. European hedgehogs have a squat body, small, thick limbs. They have narrow head, sharp jib and spheroidal nose. Their ears are wriggle out of the thorns, their small, bright black eyes are facing page. Their thorns are brown and white. They have brown her on the head, neck and forehead. Their paunch is brown and white. Hairy hedgehogs have hair instead of thorn, tails are longer, they are quicker than others. Each of hedgehog has straight nose wherewith they searching for food. Hearing is good, ears are small. Tabbed hedgehog has bigger one, it helps the dissipation on the Sahara. Their vision is relatively weak, but they orientate perfectly because of their good hearing and smelling.

Nutrition:  They include the order of insectivores, but they are similar to omnivorous, basis of their teeth and tract. They eat insects and invertabrates, but they like berries, corns, fruits too. They always choose the best place to eat and live together so open wood, prairie, garden, park. Desert ones like the dry places, other ones like wet places.

Reproduction: The reproduction depending on the season. Some species are more productive than others. We can the closest meet the reproduction of European hedgehog. They start at April, at night, and when it find a female, they can copulate. After 30-35 days, she give birth to the young animals. Generally they have 2-7 blind, pink young. Little hedgehog have white thorns and then it will be brown. Fortnigthly they open their eyes, they became puberty when they are 11 weeks.

Habits: After sunset, go after food, when it comes danger they curl up, and continue their way when they feel safe. The hedgehogs can eat a lot, especially when the hibernation is necessary to accumulate fat. In their way they always smelling. They like the wet soil. They move to hibernation in December until spring, when their fat content is run out.

Human environment: They living even 8-10 years. They feel good in the human environment, gardens, parks. We can help them that we pack the leaves and brances in heap.

Conservation value: 10.000.,-huf