🐾 Maybe the reason I love animals so much, is because the only time they have broken my heart is when theirs has stopped beating.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Hedgie, the Hedgehog 🐾

"Draw your pleasure, paint your pleasure, and express your pleasure strongly."- Pierre Bonnard



"Hedgie the Hedgehog" watercolour in Moleskine sketch-book - Maree©

The life of a Hedgehog is fraught with dangers here in South Africa. Besides being harassed or killed by other predators, the veld fires we have every Winter is a great threat to them. They are also hunted and killed for 'muti' by witch doctors who believe certain body parts have healing properties.

Hedgie the Hedgehog came into my life at a time when I felt I couldn’t handle any more responsibilities, (I was already looking after 2 Mountain tortoises and 2 fledgling Laughing Doves, plus 2 baby Guinea fowl) and all I wanted to do was find a safe home for him as quickly as possible, but after the first hour of getting to know him, I’d lost my heart completely!

Hedgie was brought to me after being rescued from some dogs rolling him around the field, presumably quite puzzled at the prickly ball which seemed quite alive, yet yielding not one inch to any prompting or buffeting of any kind.

What attracted him to Bridgette’s garden was the garden light left on at night and under which he could snuffle around for any insects also attracted to the light. And after finding him two or three times in the morning being harassed by the dogs, Bridgette decided it was time for a change of venue for the prickly character who would not even let her catch a glimpse of anything inside the bunch of prickles.

She arrived with him one Sunday afternoon, not sure whether he was still alive or not, as he had not unrolled for quite some time. Cupping him gently in my hands, I took him to the ‘holding pen’, which was a fenced area normally housing the two baby Mountain tortoises that were currently in hibernation inside the house, snug in a box, emerging from time to time for a drink of water and a quick snack before returning to their selective corners. We left Hedgie in peace for a couple of hours and after Bridgette had left, I fetched Hedgie to make sure that he was indeed all right.



After a couple of minutes of gentle coaxing, I was rewarded with a little black nose and white hairy face peering out cautiously, taking in the scene for any possible danger, flipping back into his protective covering at the slightest move. It was not long before he seemed to decide that there did not seem to be any danger and he gently uncurled into his full length, with a soft, warm tummy resting in the palm of my hand. My movements had to be gentle and slow, as he was startled very easily.

After making sure that he was in quite good health, I offered him some bread and milk (for lack of having anything else to possibly give him at such short notice, as it was in the middle of winter and insects were decidedly in short supply). He lapped at the milk quite thirstily at first and after a while ate quite a bit of the bread. He then acted quite strangely, scrambling madly in my hand and I quickly took him back to the holding pen and put him down gently. He seemed quite agitated, running around for a while and then the reason was obvious – nature had called!


Hedgie's home/enclosure

Then came the task of making him a shelter. I put down a nesting box filled with dried grass formed into a hollow in the one corner of the shelter. I gently put him to bed, leaving some more bread and milk and fresh water and decided to check on him later.

After dark, I went to fetch Hedgie and saw him investigating his new home, trotting the perimeters in an ever-widening circle, starting in the middle and walking the same route over and over, extending the range every couple of laps, until he had satisfied himself of where the boundaries were. Picking him up carefully (I still got pricked because he rolled into a ball, trapping my fingers inside his soft tummy!), we went into the house, where he spent some time curled up in my lap until he couldn’t resist the temptation anymore and started opening up, peering out slant-eyed, as if I wouldn’t be able to see him if his eyes were closed!

We have now established quite a cozy relationship, with him uncurling at the sound of my voice and peeping out to see the reason for this disturbance and if he’s not willing to be disturbed right at that moment, he does little hops combined with grunting and huffing noises, letting me know in no uncertain terms that this is not the right time for any play!

Thursday 2 April 2009

Hedgehog Facts 🐾

Physical description
Hedgehogs are easily recognized by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, cannot easily be removed from the animal. However, spines normally come out when a hedgehog sheds baby spines and replaces them with adult spines. This is called "quilling". When under extreme stress or during sickness, a hedgehog can also lose spines.


Hedgehog spine, magnification 20 x


Hedgehog spine, magnification 200 x

A defence that all species of hedgehogs possess is the ability to roll into a tight ball, causing all of the spines to point outwards. However, its effectiveness depends on the number of spines, and since some of the desert hedgehogs evolved to carry less weight, they are much more likely to try to run away and sometimes even attack the intruder, trying to ram into the intruder with its spines, leaving rolling as a last resort. This results in a different number of predators for different species: while forest hedgehogs have relatively few, primarily birds (especially owls) and ferrets, smaller species like the Long-eared hedgehog are preyed on by foxes, wolves and mongooses.

All hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, although different species can be more or less likely to come out in the daytime. The hedgehog sleeps for a large portion of the daytime either under cover of bush, grass, rock or in a hole in the ground. Again, different species can have slightly different habits, but in general hedgehogs dig out dens for shelter. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, although not all do; hibernation depends on temperature, species, and abundance of food.

Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, and communicate not only in a series of grunts and snuffles, but sometimes in loud squeals (depending on species).

Hedgehogs occasionally perform a ritual called anointing. When the animal comes across a new scent, it will lick and bite the source and then form a scented froth in its mouth and paste it on its spines with its tongue. It is not known what the specific purpose of this ritual is, but some experts believe anointing camouflages the hedgehog with the new scent of the area and provides a possible poison or source of infection to any predator that gets poked by their spines. Anointing is sometimes also called anting because of a similar behaviour in birds.

Similar to opossums, mice, and moles, hedgehogs have some natural immunity against snake venom due to the protein erinacin in the animal's muscular system.

Hedgehogs perform well with other pets, including cats and dogs. They are occasionally threatened by these animals, though, but for those rare instances, the hedgehogs just roll into a ball until the threat is gone.

Diet


A West European Hedgehog

Although traditionally classified in the now abandoned order Insectivora, hedgehogs are not exclusively insectivores, but are almost omnivorous. Hedgehogs feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons, and watermelons. In fact, berries constitute a major part of an Afghan Hedgehog's diet in early spring after hibernation. The hedgehog is occasionally spotted after a rainstorm foraging for earthworms. Although forest hedgehogs, most well-known to Europeans, are indeed mainly insectivores, this is not necessarily true for other species.

In areas that have hedgehogs in the wild, they are often welcomed as a natural form of garden pest control. Many people leave food out to attract hedgehogs. Although hedgehogs are lactose-intolerant, they will eagerly consume cheese, milk, and dairy products, causing illness. The common pet hedgehog (Four-toed Hedgehog) can however have a small portion of cottage cheese as a dietary supplement. Dog and cat food are better than dairy, but both are often too high in fat and too low in protein. It is best to leave out only a small treat, leaving them plenty of appetite for the pests in one's garden.

Reproduction and lifespan


A foraging West European Hedgehog

Depending on the species, the gestation period is 35–58 days. The average litter is 3–4 newborns for larger species and 5–6 for smaller ones. As with many animals, it is not unusual for an adult male hedgehog to kill newborn males.

The hedgehog's dilemma is based upon the apparent danger of a male hedgehog being injured from a spine while mating with a female hedgehog. It states that the closer two people are to each other, the more they may hurt one another. However, this is not an issue for hedgehogs as the male's penis is very near the centre of its abdomen (often mistaken for a belly button!) and the female has the ability to curl her tail upward to the point that her vulva protrudes behind the rest of her body. As such, the male doesn't have to get completely on top of the female when mating.

Hedgehogs have a relatively long lifespan for their size. Larger species of hedgehogs live 4–7 years in the wild (some have been recorded up to 16 years), and smaller species live 2–4 years (4–7 in captivity), compared to a mouse at 2 years and a large rat at 3–5 years. Lack of predators and controlled diet contribute to a longer lifespan in captivity.

Hedgehogs are born blind. Many believe that they are born without quills, which develop in the following days. However the quills are easily visible within hours of birth. The infants are born with quills beneath the skin, like pimples, and pass the skin after they have been cleaned.

Domesticated hedgehogs


Hedgehog being held

The most common pet species of hedgehog are hybrids of the White-bellied Hedgehog or Four-toed Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) and the North African Hedgehog (A. algirus). It is smaller than the West European Hedgehog, and thus is sometimes called the African Pygmy Hedgehog. Other species kept as pets are the Long-eared Hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) and the Indian Long-eared Hedgehog (H. collaris).

Domesticated species prefer a warm climate (above 72°F/22°C but below 85°F/29.5°C) and do not naturally hibernate. They eat an insectivore diet. Commonly, this is replaced with cat food and ferret food and is supplemented by insects and other small animals. Today, many pet stores sell hedgehog mixes that are specifically formulated for hedgehogs. Crickets, meal worms, and pinkies (baby mice) are also favoured treats. It is illegal to own a hedgehog as a pet in some U.S. states and some Canadian municipalities, and breeding licenses are required. No such restrictions exist in most European countries with the exception of Scandinavia.

The purchase of domesticated hedgehogs has seen a considerable increase in the last few years owing to their apparently innocent and playful looks. Hedgehogs are difficult to maintain as pets because of their low resistance to climate and temperature changes, and their inability to adapt to enclosed environments.

Pest control


Hedgehog

Hedgehogs are a powerful form of pest control. A single hedgehog can keep an average garden free of pests by eating up to 200 grams of insects each night. It is common throughout the United Kingdom to see people attempting to lure hedgehogs into their gardens with treats and hedgehog-sized holes in their fences.

One problem with using hedgehogs for garden pest control is the use of chemical insecticide. While the hedgehog is large enough to resist most insecticides, it cannot withstand them if it eats many insects which have become full of the poison. This causes many hedgehog deaths where pet hedgehogs eat contaminated bugs within the house.

In areas where hedgehogs have been introduced, such as New Zealand and the islands of Scotland, the hedgehog itself has become a pest. In New Zealand it causes immense damage to native species including insects, snails and ground-nesting birds, particularly shore birds. As with many introduced animals, it lacks natural predators. With overpopulation, it kills off more insects than initially intended and expands its diet to include things such as snails, worms, and the eggs of wading birds. Attempts to eliminate hedgehogs from bird colonies on the Scottish islands of North Uist and Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides have met with considerable opposition.

Hedgehog diseases
Hedgehogs share many diseases common to humans. These include cancer, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Cancer is very common in hedgehogs. The most common is squamous cell carcinoma. Squamous cell spreads quickly from the bone to the organs in hedgehogs, unlike in humans. Surgery to remove the tumors is rare because it would result in removing too much bone structure.

Fatty liver disease is believed by many to be caused by bad diet. Hedgehogs will eagerly eat foods that are high in fat and sugar. Having a metabolism adapted for low-fat, protein-rich insects, this leads to common problems of obesity. Fatty liver disease is one sign, heart disease is another.

Hedgehogs uncommonly transmit a characteristic fungal skin infection to human handlers as well as other hedgehogs. This ringworm or dermatophytosis infection is caused by Trichopyton erinacei, which forms a distinct mating group within the Arthroderma benhamiae species complex.

It is possible for a hedgehog's lung to be injured in such a fashion that air is trapped under its skin, causing it to inflate to enormous size.

Human influence
As with most small mammals living around humans, cars pose a great threat to hedgehogs. Many are run over as they attempt to cross roadways.

Another common human-related fatality is pesticides. Hedgehogs that eat insects filled with pesticides will often form digestive problems and eventually die.

In 2006, McDonald's changed the design of their McFlurry containers to be more hedgehog-friendly. Previously, hedgehogs would get their heads stuck in the container as they tried to lick the remaining food from inside the cup. Then, being unable to get out, they would starve to death. Domesticated Hedgehogs display this behaviour by getting their head stuck in tubes (commonly, lavatory paper tubes) and walking around with the tube on their head. Hedgehog owners often refer to this as "tubing" and promote the behaviour by supplying clean tubes.

Culinary use
Hedgehogs are a food source in many cultures. Hedgehogs were eaten in Ancient Egypt, and some recipes of the Late Middle Ages call for hedgehog meat. Hedgehog meat is still acceptable in some societies, and there are folk-remedies that include it as an ingredient.

A method of preparation that has been used since ancient times is to cover a hedgehog with clay and bake it. The hedgehog is then removed and the clay cracked open, taking the spikes of the hedgehog with it, a practice that a common urban myth claims is widespread among gypsies.

During the 1980s, "hedgehog-flavoured" crisps were introduced in Britain, although the product did not in fact contain any hedgehog.

Genera and species


Long-eared Hedgehog


An urban hedgehog out foraging at night.
Subfamily Erinaceinae (Hedgehogs)


Genus Atelerix
Four-toed Hedgehog, Atelerix albiventris
North African Hedgehog, Atelerix algirus
Southern African Hedgehog, Atelerix frontalis
Somalid Hedgehog, Atelerix sclateri

Genus Erinaceus
Amur Hedgehog, Erinaceus amurensis
Southern White-breasted Hedgehog, Erinaceus concolor
West European Hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus
Northern White-breasted Hedgehog, Erinaceus roumanicus

Genus Hemiechinus
Long-eared Hedgehog, Hemiechinus auritus
Indian Long-eared Hedgehog, Hemiechinus collaris

Genus Mesechinus
Daurian Hedgehog, Mesechinus dauuricus
Hugh's Hedgehog, Mesechinus hughi

Genus Paraechinus
Desert Hedgehog, Paraechinus aethiopicus
Brandt's Hedgehog, Paraechinus hypomelas
Indian Hedgehog, Paraechinus micropus
Bare-bellied Hedgehog, Paraechinus nudiventris

From Wikipedia

Friday 27 March 2009

"Hedgehog" in Other Languages



Interested in Hedgehogs? Here are some translations of what Hedgehogs are called in other languages.

Afrikaans: krimpvarkie (S.A.)
Tswana : sethlong (S.A.)
Anglo-Saxon: igil or il
Arabic: qunfud
Bengali: kata chua (spikey mouse)
Bulgarian: taralej
Chinese: ci-wei (needle animal)
Cornish: sort
Croatian: jez
Czech: jezek
Danish: pindsvin
Dutch: egel
English: hedgehog, hedge-pig, herichun, urchin
Finnish: siili
French: herisson
Gaelic: crainneag
German: igel
Greek: skandzohoiros
Hebrew: kipod
Hindi: aik parkar ka jangli chuha ("a spikey sort of mouse")
Hungarian: sün, süni, sündisznó
Irish: grainneog
Korean: kosŭmdoch’i
Italian: riccio
Japanese: hejjihoggu or harinezumi
Latin: erinaceus
Maltese: Qanfud
Mandarin Chinese: Cìweì
Norwegian: piggsvin
Persian: kharpusht
Polish: jez
Portuguese: ourico
Punjabi: kanderala ("thorned animal")
Russian: ezh
Slovenian: jez.
Spanish: erizo
Swahili: kalunguyeye
Turkish: kirpi
Swedish: igelkott
Welsh: draenog

FROM Hedgehog Central. Our many thanks go out to all those who have contributed to this growing list of translations - Bryan


Sunday 1 February 2009

Farm Talk - Winter 2008




A cycle has been completed once again - June, and another Winter on our doorsteps. Winter 2006, as the picture shows, was quite severe for us in South Africa, as snow is something we rarely experience and therefore always creates great excitement as well as hard-ship. Especially in the farming community, as livestock is always at risk because of the vast sizes of our farms and the large numbers of livestock we farm with - no barns really big enough to house all of them. No protection against the freezing temperatures and also a great problem with feed supplies.
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Another Winter special is the lovely temperatures we can enjoy at the Coast - no blistering heat or searing sun and a lovely ocean to boot!
On farms and smallholdings though, Winter does also bring a special set of circumstances - exposed pipes from boreholes and water tanks often freeze up and then water is a problem until the sun has defrosted things sufficiently for water to flow freely again. Staff handling livestock outside have to be warmly clothed, wrapped in scarves and gloves and often having their 'konka' (a fire made in a drum) placed close-by to supply some warmth.

Luckily our Winters are short-lived, with our Autumn months being warm, calm and serene. In March the most beautiful colours start emerging as trees put on their Autumn outfits, getting ready for their long-earned rest. April brings all the dropping leaves, ensuing in a great garden clean-up as leaves are gathered for the compost heap ready for use in Spring.


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May is one of the most beautiful months, warm enough outside to sit at the garden table and enjoy the birds frolicking around. The bird baths are still in full use and the lesser foliage on the trees allows the birds to sit and bask in the sun, drying out before the flit off on the next adventure. In June winter starts seriously setting in and by August/September we're ready for Spring again!

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Friday 16 January 2009

Hedgehog Behaviour 🐾

I came upon this wonderful article on HEDGEHOG BEHAVIOUR at 'Hedgehog Central' and hope they don't mind my publishing it here.

Since your hedgehog cannot talk, he will communicate his likes and dislikes to you through his body language and a few quiet vocalizations.


Here is a list of some things he or she is trying to say:

SOUNDS
Soft Purring and Whistling: This is a sign of pure contentment.
Puffing: Displeasure, uncertainty
Snorting or "Sneezing": Usually accompanies puffing and means the same thing
Hissing and Clicking: This means "get away from me, I’m scared or tired of you".
Snuffling: Happily checking things out
Chirping: Usually done by males while breeding and by nursing hoglets (babies)
Screaming: Physical pain, fear and sometime anger
Sounds Heard During Sleep: Believe it or not, some hedgehogs actually snore! Like dogs and cats, they also appear to dream and will sniff, snort and chirp quietly all the while.

My two Hedgehogs, Hedgie and Sethlong at their first meeting of putting them together

BODY LANGUAGE

::

Rolled up ball: Fearful
Spines Erect:
All Over: displeasure or fear
On Forehead Only: Cautious, uncertain
Spines Laying Flat All Over: Everything is fine. He feels comfortable and safe.
Self - Anointing:
If your hedgehog smells something he likes or if he simply comes across a smell that he is unfamiliar with, such as leather, perfume, etc., he will foam at the mouth and will then deposit this foamy saliva on his back and shoulders. In an effort to cover as much of their backs as possible with this foam, many hedgehogs will contort their bodies in such a way that they will sometimes fall over. Many hedgehogs become so engrossed with this activity that they become totally oblivious to anything going on around them! No one is really certain why hedgehogs perform this unusual behaviour (more often seen in males than females) but there is no shortage of theories.

One possible explanation is that they are trying to remember a particular smell by mixing it with the saliva and then depositing it on the spines. Another is that the foam acts as a repellent or toxin to a hedgehog's enemies. Whatever the reason, though, self-anointing is a normal occurrence and is no cause for alarm.


Awake time:
Your hedgehog is diurnal. This means that, like a cat, he will be awake during parts of both the day and night, but will be most active at dawn and after dark until 2 or 3 am. By handling him mostly during the daytime, you can easily change his sleep habits so that he will sleep more during the night and be more active during the day. If you are normally gone during the day, though, his normal sleep habits will most likely suit you just fine.

Circling:
To be perfectly honest, we don’t understand this behaviour either, but it surely is good exercise! Circling should not, however, be mistaken for pacing - common in animals that are confined in too small an area - since hedgehogs in the wild frequently run circles as well. (Perhaps they know about the Olympics.) Not only do they run in circles, but they often run in figure-eights as well!

::

(NOTE:) I personally have found this to mean that they are checking out their territory and establishing boundaries, going in ever-increasing larger circles until they encounter a fence or wall - my hedgies would sometimes do this every night for weeks on end and then not at all for quite some time.

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