table of contents
- Life expectancy
- Life shortening factors
- Natural predators
- frequently asked Questions
Actually, hedgehogs can get very old for their small size, but because the right habitat is often missing, and neither is it If there are enough feeders and other enemies, most of the useful animals barely even reach 30% of their actual size Life expectancy.
In a nutshell
- hostile human environment more dangerous than predators
- natural life expectancy between seven and ten years
- most animals die between the ages of two and three
- Create a natural environment for the animals so that they can survive
- many males are run over in search of a female during the mating season
Life expectancy
Theoretically, the cute little quills have a life expectancy of between seven and ten years. But most of them do not get that old because they are torn from their young life beforehand by accidents or predators. A four-year-old animal is already considered old, although this is only the mean age that the animals could expect in good living conditions:
- high death rate at a young age
- natural selection even in the newly born
- many young survive first Hibernation not
- often too little food to prepare for sleep
- older animals mostly only lifespan between two and three years
- Hardly a hedgehog dies of old age
Note: Hedgehogs hibernate in the city too, which shouldn't be disturbed. Therefore, you should not remove piles of twigs or branches from the garden corners before winter, an animal could already be sleeping here. The animals used to humans build theirs Nests often in close proximity to the house.
Life shortening factors
Most hedgehogs young deaths are due to the hostile, man-made environment. Not only in the cities but also in the rural areas do the animals suffer from the fact that it becomes more and more unsafe for them and many dangers lurk, which are sometimes simply created unconsciously. This includes:
- Vehicles of all kinds
- wide streets or paths
- Shafts and pits
- Nets, fences or walls in the garden
- Burning piles of leaves in the garden that serve as hiding places
- Insecticides and a lack of windfall make it more difficult Foraging
Note: This is particularly problematic during the mating season. The males forget all caution when looking for a female and are often run over.
Natural predators
In addition to the threatening created environment, natural predators can also cause the premature death of the nocturnal animals be to blame. But it is by far not as common as death by accidents that animals fall prey to enemies, especially when the habitat is in the city. Natural enemies include:
- Badger
- Fox
- marten
- Eagle owl
frequently asked Questions
Yes, unfortunately that is true. Because the cute animals are real flea transporters. Therefore, you should also be careful not to go near a dog, let alone let him sniff it. Because the fleas quickly jumped over to the dog, especially if the last administration of a spot-on preparation was a long time ago. If you have to touch an animal yourself, you should protect yourself with gloves and long-sleeved clothing.
Often the branches and twigs for an Easter or other traditional fire are piled up days in advance. However, the hedgehogs see this as an invitation to find shelter here. Therefore, it makes more sense to assemble everything just before lighting it up. Otherwise, a lot of noise has to be made all around before lighting so that the hedgehogs that may have nested here can escape.
There are two types of popular animals in the local area. The brown-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is native to the whole country. The northern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus), which only occurs in the outskirts of eastern Germany, is rarer.
It is important that the animals are given a natural environment. Because as so-called cultural followers, they have adapted to the people and like to stay in populated areas. Here they sleep through the day in nests that they have built for themselves. In order to make the living space as natural as possible for the animals and so that they can find enough food, it is advisable to create a natural garden.
Yes, they are mostly on their own and the males in particular avoid rivals. The males are only looking for a suitable female during the mating season.