Where can a hedgehog spend the winter? Animal hibernation, winter characteristics for hedgehogs

Do hedgehogs hibernate? Hedgehogs' activity patterns vary greatly depending on the season. These behavioral differences are observed not only in the wild but also in enclosures. With the onset of winter, hedgehogs enter a prolonged hibernation.

Scientists around the world have long paid close attention to the similarities in the biological behavior of certain mammals, including members of the hedgehog family. Most researchers of terrestrial fauna attribute the animals' prolonged torpor during low temperatures to an imperfect thermal regulation mechanism.

Nutritional characteristics of hedgehogs

These prickly cute creatures are very they like to settle in garden plots, especially if the dacha is located near a forest. Garden pests are a perfect food source for hedgehogs. Slugs, which appear in garden plots during rainy seasons and cause significant damage to crops, are a tasty treat for hedgehogs.

Some of the hedgehogs' favorite foods include:

• insects and their larvae;
• beetles;
• small rodents;
• snails;
• mollusks;
• frogs;
• lizards.

It gives hedgehogs great pleasure destroy mouse nests, and feed on their inhabitants. They happily feast on wasps or bees, completely unafraid of their stings. Hedgehogs often attack wasp nests and completely devastate them. Hedgehogs' bodies do not react to the bites of venomous snakes; they tolerate all toxins well. Scientists around the world are still amazed by this natural phenomenon and cannot find a logical explanation for it.

Everyone knows the stories from childhood about hedgehogs carrying apples on their backs, are pure fictionDue to its physiological characteristics, a hedgehog is incapable of obtaining food in this way. Even if an apple were to fall on its spines, it would only remain there for a very short time.

Behavioral characteristics of hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are nocturnal. Often, the entire large family goes hunting as soon as darkness falls. When getting food These animals use their excellent hearing and keen sense of smell. It's at night that all the sounds of nature are so clearly audible. And the hedgehog sniffs sensitively, pinpointing the location of beetles and worms in the soil at depths of up to 3 cm. To dig up the soil, the hedgehog uses its sharp claws. With a deft movement, it retrieves its prey in a matter of seconds.

Hedgehogs get used to people quite easily, they are trusting and kind creaturesWith just a few moments of human contact with a hedgehog, the animal will happily accept food from your hands and even allow you to pet it without using defensive spines. Hedgehogs happily drink milk and enjoy cat food. Among their favorite human foods are:

• boiled potatoes;
• cheese;
• nuts and seeds;
• bread and baked goods.

Hedgehogs wintering

Do hedgehogs hibernate in winter? The period of life in which hedgehogs lead an active existenceThe active period lasts from 4 to 7 months, depending on the habitat and weather conditions. Long-eared hedgehogs have the shortest active period, while common hedgehogs, which are most common in northern regions, have the longest. The active period of a hedgehog's life can be divided into three periods:

1. Awakening from hibernation
2. Reproductive period
3. Preparatory period for hibernation.

If hedgehogs are kept in enclosures, i.e. in captivity, then reproductive stage in their life absent.

The term hibernation refers to an animal's adaptation period to unfavorable weather conditions. However, the level of unfavorable weather varies for different hedgehog species, so the reasons for hibernation may also vary.

The main reasons for hedgehogs to hibernate are:

• lack of food;
• low air temperatures.

Unlike most animals, hedgehogs are not able to store food For the winter. Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, when insects disappear, hedgehogs begin to hibernate. During the warmer months, these creatures store fat deposits under their skin and on their internal organs, and in winter, they hibernate. While hedgehog enclosures have ample food in winter, they still hibernate due to their imperfect thermoregulatory system.

The preparatory period for wintering in hedgehogs is also associated with the search for a winter shelter and its improvement. If the animal chooses the wrong place to hibernateWinter can have a very tragic effect on them—death. As autumn approaches, hedgehogs dig their burrows at a depth of about 1.5 meters, located under a thick layer of soil and bedding. Is it possible to make a hedgehog shelter yourself? When creating an artificial hedgehog burrow, keep this in mind, otherwise the ground may freeze.

Scientists haven't figured it out yet, What kind of hibernation burrows do hedgehogs use?: their own or someone else's. In enclosures equipped with a thick layer of soil, hedgehogs overwinter well in artificial shelters. Also during this preparatory period, hedgehogs change from their summer coat to winter hair.

Hibernation in hedgehogs is characterized by the same properties as in other animals:

• duration;
• deep sleep;
• drop in body temperature to 1.8°C;
• Minimum acceptable reduction in heart rate.

During the waking period, hedgehogs cannot survive without food.Death can occur after just 10 days of starvation. During hibernation, a hedgehog can go without food for up to 240 days.

The burrows are covered with snow, so the animals are completely safe thanks to the insulation of the snow block. If a hedgehog digs its own burrow, it overwinters alone. It is also recommended to create artificial burrows in enclosures for one hedgehog.

Hedgehogs hibernate in a characteristic pose. The animal curls up into a ball, with its paws and nose pressed tightly against its belly., the tail is pressed against the head. This position reduces heat loss from exposed skin, and also reduces the surface area exposed to cold air. If you touch a sleeping hedgehog, the body will feel very cold. Weight loss occurs daily due to subcutaneous fat and fat reserves in the animal's internal organs.

Hedgehogs don't hibernate overnight. Their existence continues with alternating periods of wakefulness and temporary torporGradually, the duration of sleep increases and transitions into hibernation.

Awakening of hedgehogs in spring Characterized by the onset of breeding season. When animals are kept in captivity, it is very rare to witness the reproductive period.