Daursky hedgehog - description, habitat, lifestyle

A Dahurian hedgehog is understood as a representative of a hedgehog family, which is included in the insectivorous order. These individuals partially stand out against the background of themselves, they have individual peculiarities in behavior, otherwise they get food. It is noteworthy that the individuals of the species under discussion are protected by law, are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, but they have not yet been fully studied. Let's look at the main characteristics so that you can form your own opinion about these individuals.

Habitat

1. Representatives of the family are found in China, its northern part. Also inhabited individuals in Mongolia. There are a lot of them in the open spaces of our country, namely in Transbaikalia. Slightly less common are hedgehogs in Buryatia.
2. These individuals like to choose the area of ​​residence, taking into account the vegetation that they consume in food. Can settle near arid plant species. Occur in the floodplains of rivers with strong humidity.
3. Some people like shrubs and thickets, others settle in pine forests. Also found in mixed stripes and larch. They bypass the area with thick grass, steppes and too large wastelands.
4. It is often possible to meet individuals from the detachment under discussion near human settlements. They live in park areas, on the outskirts of settlements and even in the very center of a particular city, provided that it is not densely populated. Hedgehogs are always guided by the safety of the place when choosing a zone for permanent habitat.

Status

1. It makes sense to affect the number of animals. Around the 1960s, the population sharply declined due to massive changes in climatic conditions, frequent fires in their places of distribution, and, of course, as a result of human activity and the development of new territories.
2. At that time, people massively poisoned rodents, hedgehogs died quickly. Livestock also had a negative effect on the population. Humanity began to plow the land, cut down forests.
3. To date, there is no exact information about what the exact number of these individuals.According to some data, the population has begun to revive, but it has not grown to its previous marks.

Description

1. These individuals are inferior in their dimensional features to animals of the European type, which are otherwise referred to as ordinary ones. However, at the same time, they are larger than their eared relatives. The dimensions of the body are drawn up to 30 cm. As for the mass, it ranges from 0.6–1.6 kg. Before hibernation, individuals gorge themselves and look plump.
2. The tail is shortened, it is almost invisible. The limbs also do not differ excessive length. The body itself is downed, sealed. The head is conical in shape, the muzzle is pulled forward. The ears, too, look forward, in size reach almost 4 cm in length. The shell is well developed and visible.
3. On the skin there are quite a few needles, which grow to a length of 2 cm on average. Under each needle there is a muscle fiber, which allows it to rise. These representatives of the species have rather elastic muscle fibers, which allow individuals to curl and perezhidat danger.
4. These individuals differ from their ordinary counterparts in that they do not have an empty area on the head.That is, vegetation covers the entire head. Also, these animals are not too prickly, because the needles are sent to the back section of the body, and not upward, like all other hedgehogs.
5. Those areas where there are no needles are covered with hard fur. In the area of ​​the chest there is an elongated cover. The abdominal section is relaxed and prominent. As for the color of the body, the animals are pigmented, preferably dark brown or sand. Color changes with the passage of life.

Lifestyle

1. Representatives of the family are distinguished by the ability to protect their territorial property with high quality; they do not tolerate outsiders in their possessions. These individuals have individual plots; each individual member of the group can account for up to 40 hectares. Agree, impressive, given the fact that the hedgehog in length is only 30 cm. In this area, the animal is looking for food and shelter.
2. The greatest activity is manifested in twilight time. If it is overcast in the street, then individuals can leave their lair during the day. When it starts to rain, they take shelter from the damp. When danger is twisted into a ball. Hibernation begins around the end of summer.It continues until the middle of the autumn pore, sometimes this action is extended for another six months. Gon has its origin immediately after awakening.
3. After mating, the female continues to bear future offspring for about 1.5 months. Before childbirth, the specimens in question pull out their holes. In some cases, females try to occupy the abandoned shelters of gophers. Hedgehogs just expand them. Often the young are born at the beginning or in the middle of summer.
4. Most often up to 8 babies can be born. At the same time, the process of their growth and development proceeds fairly quickly. Already at 2 months of age, the offspring begins to lead a completely independent lifestyle. Before hibernation, the presented animals try to settle away from each other.
5. It is noteworthy that badgers are the main natural enemies of such hedgehogs. Such predators often attack both small individuals and adults. Badgers get defenseless animals from their holes without any problems. Often, hedgehogs are also victims of foxes, birds of prey, raccoon dogs and wolves.
6. The basis of the diet of the animals discussed includes various insects and invertebrates.It is often possible to see that hedgehogs hunt small rodents, snakes and toads. Such individuals can even enjoy carrion. If possible, hedgehogs eat chicks and bird eggs. In the wild, animals live up to 6 years, in captivity a little longer.

Characteristics

1. As mentioned earlier, the diet of the represented individuals is quite diverse. Such hedgehogs can feed on ground beetles, ants and various beetles. They also eat the eggs of birds, which nest mainly on the ground.
2. Hedgehogs attack amphibians, hamsters and mice. If possible, the animals presented do not give up the berries. It is noteworthy that the feeding area of ​​males and females varies greatly. It is interesting that in strong and large males such a territory can be equal to 400 hectares.
3. Such individuals rarely burrow themselves. Presented animals prefer to occupy the abandoned shelters of other animals. Hedgehogs do not like rainy weather and always wait out the dampness in their shelter. Individuals prefer to be active just at dusk. Hedgehogs hunt in the evening and at night.
4. Considered animals for the winter hibernate. In such a difficult period, individuals lose about a third of the mass of their total body weight. Animals wake up approximately in the middle of spring. Such animals prefer a single sedentary lifestyle. The pair is created exclusively in the mating season.

While the hedgehogs are being hunted by foxes, wolves, ferrets, badgers and birds, the represented individuals try to behave very carefully. In case of danger they curl up. It is noteworthy that they can lie in this form for a long time.