It is sometimes not easy to notice this guest at a summer cottage. Hedgehogs are rather unceremonious creatures, but timid and prefer to stay awake at night.. The territory that they go around in search of food is quite vast, but this food in dacha villages often has nothing in common with the natural food of hedgehogs. IN wildlife Hedgehogs feed on insects, invertebrates, amphibians, and eggs of birds nesting on the ground. In dacha areas, hedgehogs collect leftover food from people, steal food from cat and dog bowls, and “graze” near composts where scraps are dumped.
Hedgehog hiding in the grass
A common stereotype about a hedgehog dragging an apple on its needles is a myth.. Hedgehogs use needles for their intended purpose - to protect themselves from enemies. In the wild, almost all larger predators are considered such for adult hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are relatively easy prey for birds of prey, and for small predators. In dacha areas, dogs and people become enemies of hedgehogs. If from the first healthy hedgehogs They run away quite quickly, the latter sometimes do not know pity, considering the hedgehog a pest capable of destroying a priceless garden harvest.
Hedgehogs do not attempt to destroy crops; the fruit and vegetable diet does not play a significant role in their nutrition. The potential danger of hedgehogs to humans is quite long list diseases that the hedgehog is a carrier of. First of all, hedgehogs suffer from rabies. And contrary to the frivolous disbelief of uneducated summer residents, rabies is a serious disease that ends in disability or death. There are enough cases of rabies detected in the Moscow region, as well as in New Moscow, so basic safety measures cannot be neglected. There is no need to touch the hedgehog, pick it up, or try to squeeze it..
In addition to rabies, hedgehogs carry salmonellosis (acute infection, intestinal infection), leptospirosis (infectious jaundice with severe disease), dermatomycosis (skin fungi).
A hedgehog can settle in a summer cottage: under woodpiles, warehouses of wood materials, under gazebos and garden pavilions with low foundations. In this case, it is not difficult to detect a neighbor - usually hedgehogs lay out their own specific routes, on which they are easy to notice. Hedgehogs are solitary animals, so one animal always lives in the nest/burrow, with the exception of the period of raising offspring.
Occasionally, hedgehogs conflict with cats, although, according to my observations, this only happens if a particular cat lacks brains. However, the stable and rapid disappearance of cat food left overnight may indicate a good appetite not even for the cat, but common hedgehog. Also, an indirect sign of a hedgehog’s proximity can be the active destruction of bumblebee nests, which were not noticeable at all until the moment of destruction.
A hedgehog as a neighbor in the country is both a funny creature and at the same time troublesome, especially if small hedgehogs appear in the nest. Newborn hedgehogs are naked pink creatures, absolutely helpless and, from the point of view of lovers of touching wussi-pusi, not very cute. Unfortunately, I know of cases where hedgehogs accidentally found in a nest were killed, mistaking them for baby rats. Alas, this may be why the common hedgehog is included in the Red Book of Moscow. True city dwellers are too afraid of all living things.
Sometimes gardeners take hedgehogs and especially come into the house, trying to turn the prickly creature into pet. But in addition to the above-mentioned dangers of infectious diseases, it should be borne in mind that Hedgehogs are not at all suitable for living in an apartment. Firstly, they are nocturnal. Stomping and snorting are not the best accompaniment to a night's sleep. And solving toilet problems can tire even a patient animal lover. Secondly, in captivity, with abundant nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, hedgehogs grow up to 50 cm in length and gain body weight up to 2-3 kg. This is a fairly large animal for a small apartment, taking into account the fact that hedgehogs are not able to jump onto the sofa. Thirdly, during the winter, hedgehogs hibernate. And in a city apartment it is not at all easy to create conditions for this hibernation. Not to mention the fact that a hibernating animal is not at all the type of pet that city dwellers usually dream about.
Full title of the work topic | “Why does a hedgehog need needles?” |
Aul Daria |
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Kind of work | |
Age nomination | 2nd grade |
Territory, settlement | Krasnoyarsk region, city of Nazarovo |
Name of educational institution | Municipal autonomous educational institution "Average comprehensive school No. 8 with in-depth study of individual subjects”, Nazarovo, Krasnoyarsk Territory tel.: 5-11-56, 5-02-42, 5-06-00, 3-15-07, E-mail: [email protected] |
Class | 2 "B" |
Place of work | Apartment, children's library |
Supervisor | Eskina Elena Viktorovna, primary school teacher Municipal autonomous educational institution "Secondary school No. 8 with in-depth study of certain types of subjects" |
contact number | 8-965-900-28-78 |
I Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………… 3
- Relevance………………………………………………………………………………....3
- Proposing a hypothesis…………………………………………………….3
- Purpose of the study……………………………………………………… 3
- Tasks…………………………………………………………………………………3
- Object and subject of research………………………………………….3
- Time and place of research……………………………………………………… 3
- Research methods and methodology………………………………………………………..3
II Main content……………………………………………………… 4- 5
2.1. Theoretical research……………………………………………...4
2.2. Poll…………………………………………………………………………………5
III Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………. 5
3.1. Conclusions on the research work…………………………………….5
IV References……………………………………………………….. 6
I.Introduction
- Relevance
When I went into a pet store with my mother, I saw a hedgehog curled up asleep. I was interested to know: why does a hedgehog need needles?
1.2 Proposing a hypothesis
Let's assume that a hedgehog needs quills to protect itself from enemies.
Perhaps the hedgehog needs thorns to store supplies for the winter.
Let's say that with the help of needles a hedgehog drags leaves to insulate his home.
What if hedgehogs need needles for beauty.
1.3 Purpose of the study
Find out: why does a hedgehog need needles?
1.4. Tasks
- Study theoretical material on this problem on the Internet and reference literature.
- Using a survey, find out from students in our class what they think a hedgehog needs needles for.
1.5 Object and subject of research
Object: hedgehog
Subject: properties of needles
- Time and place of the study
Location: my apartment, classroom.
- Research methods and methodology
- Theoretical;
- Survey;
II. Main content
2.1. Theoretical research
While working with an Internet source, I learned that hedgehogs are inhabitants of forests, steppes, and deserts. They settle under tree roots, under stones, and dig holes. Hedgehogs climb and swim well. Their body length can be from 10 to 44 cm. There are 5 species of hedgehogs in Russia. In our forests you can find the common hedgehog. He runs around openly, rustles leaves, sniffles loudly, and when he eats, he smacks his lips. When in danger, he curls up into a ball. The hedgehog hides its muzzle and exposes its needles.
The needles are a prickly shell. The hedgehog has 16 thousand spines, 3 cm long and 1 mm thick. The needles are spindle-shaped, dark gray with white stripes. Needles are changed once: from children's to adults.
Hedgehogs are not born prickly. But after a few hours they become covered with needles. After two weeks, the needles become hard. Without thorns, it would be difficult for a hedgehog to survive! But some birds have claws stronger than quills. The fox also loves to eat hedgehog meat. She rolls the ball to the water and the hedgehog turns around. But cats are afraid of hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs are omnivores. They eat insects, snails and mice, bird eggs and fruit. They can even attack and eat poisonous snake and not get poisoned.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal. Hedgehogs that lead a solitary lifestyle stay awake at night and look for food. Some hedgehogs hibernate winter time. Hedgehogs are beneficial by destroying pests. During the night, the prickly animal eats 200 grams of insects. And sometimes hedgehogs themselves can become pests, as they destroy bird nests.
Quills are the hedgehog's main defense. His teeth are weak. If the hedgehog is in danger, it curls up into a ball. No enemy will dare to bite this thorny ball. The hedgehog has a funny habit of sticking something sharp-smelling or with a tart taste onto its spines. Bitter russula or aromatic apple. Hedgehogs that live near human habitation “decorate” themselves with cigarette butts, orange peels, and rags.
A hedgehog with apples and mushrooms on its prickly back, in a hurry to make provisions for the winter, is a fairy-tale image, not a real one. Actually, the hedgehog is an omnivore, but he will always prefer some caterpillar to a piece of apple. Favorite foods: insects, caterpillars, sometimes earthworms. May feast on an egg or chick. Sometimes hedgehogs were kept in houses instead of... cats. Although he does not specifically hunt mice - he does not run so fast.
2.2 Survey
I conducted a survey among 20 students in my class to find out why a hedgehog needs needles?
Based on the survey results, I received the following data:
1. A hedgehog needs thorns to protect itself from enemies - 10 people.
2. The hedgehog needs thorns to store supplies for the winter - 8 people
3. Using needles, the hedgehog drags leaves to insulate his home - 2 people.
4. Hedgehogs need needles for beauty – 0 people.
III. CONCLUSION
3.1 Conclusions from the research work
Now I am sure that the hedgehog needs needles for protection. I confirmed my assumptions by reading about it in various sources. I have already shared the results of the study with my classmates, as well as with friends and family.
In the future, I plan to conduct a repeated survey of students in my class on this topic.
IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.First school encyclopedia. Animal world / M. Rosman 2008
2. Encyclopedia Pochemuchki. Animals /M. Swallowtail 2012
3. Internet resources: www. *****/page/detskaya_stranica/.../
An ordinary hedgehog lives in the forest, in a park, in a grove, and can be found in a vegetable garden. While moving, it makes many characteristic sounds: rustling leaves, sniffing loudly, and smacking its lips while eating.
When enemies approach, it takes a characteristic defensive pose - curls up into a ball using special muscles on its back. It exposes its needles to predators, and hides its unprotected muzzle under a thorny shield.
Quills are a protective tool for a hedgehog.
Quills are a protective device necessary for survival in times of danger.
An adult has up to 16 thousand needles, they are 2-3 cm long and about 1 mm thick. The shape of the needles resembles a spindle: their thickest part is in the middle. The color of the needles is gray, but upon careful examination you can notice alternating dark and light stripes in their color.
Hedgehogs are born naked and not prickly. They become covered with white and dark needles after a few hours, and their eyes open after two weeks. The needles quickly become hard, like those of an adult hedgehog. The baby's needles may already be bristling. Such a defensive reaction is necessary in environment, because the hedgehog has many enemies. In moments of danger to life, all animals exhibit a natural reaction: a cat hisses, arching its back upward, a bee stings, and a hedgehog hides its soft body under a prickly shell.
In the absence of thorns, it would be difficult for hedgehogs to survive in the environment. The abdomen of hedgehogs is unprotected, tender, almost transparent ears protrude from the prickly shell. But even needles do not always help preserve the life of an animal. Some birds of prey have rather sharp claws and a powerful beak; moreover, their “palms” are covered with thick scales, and they are not afraid of hedgehog spines.
The fox does not have such “mittens”. But hedgehog meat is a tasty prey for her. Having found a thorny ball, he carefully rolls it towards the water and pushes it into a puddle or river. The hedgehog must turn around, exposing its defenseless belly to the predator. And the fox was waiting for this.
The hedgehog itself is a predator (sometimes it hunts mice), replacing the domestic cat. It is generally believed that hedgehogs need spines to pick mushrooms and apples and store supplies for future use. There is such an image of the animal in V. Suteev’s illustration! A hedgehog holds an apple on its thorns. There was an erroneous assumption that hedgehogs eat mushrooms and apples. But this is fiction.
The hedgehog is a predator based on its feeding method. In some homes, he replaces the cat, catching mice. Of course, he doesn’t specifically hunt mice; this is not in the rules of a calm animal, because he doesn’t run that fast to catch a nimble rodent. Hedgehogs also do not know how to watch for prey.
The basis of hedgehogs' diet is insects. Snakes are unlikely to occupy a prominent place in the diet of hedgehogs. But there are facts indicating the appearance of a huge number of snakes in places where hedgehogs were destroyed. It is known that animals are practically not susceptible to snake venoms. By exposing its prickly side, the hedgehog deftly avoids the poisonous teeth of the snake. Hedgehogs are insectivorous animals; their diet consists of beetles, larvae, various insects, and sometimes berries. The animal usually consumes an amount of food equal to its own weight during the night. In the spring, the hedgehog, hungry during the winter, becomes more voracious.
Hedgehogs spend the winter alone, climbing into a specially prepared hole. During hibernation, they use subcutaneous fat accumulated since autumn. They do not stock any mushrooms or berries. Hedgehogs string apples, mushrooms and even leaves onto their spines solely for hygienic purposes. In this way, they take a kind of “shower”, cleansing their body and needles of dirt.
Hedgehogs are frequent guests of garden plots. People have been familiar with this animal for a long time. In the ancient world, hedgehog skins were dried and stretched on wooden planks to form combs - combs for sheep's wool. Animals are difficult to train; you should not try to tame them, although animals can live in a house and wake up its inhabitants at night. But hedgehogs will not exchange green grass and earth for milk and meat.
In the forest, in the grove, in the park, in the garden you can meet an ordinary hedgehog. He runs around openly, rustles leaves, sniffles loudly, and when he eats, he smacks his lips. Sensing danger, he curls up into a ball. This is helped by special muscles on the back. The hedgehog hides its unprotected muzzle and exposes its quills.
The needles are a prickly shell that protects the animal from danger. An adult hedgehog has up to 16 thousand needles, 2-3 cm long and approximately 1 mm thick. The needles are spindle-shaped: their thickest part is in the middle. Their color is gray, but if you look closely, you will notice that they have alternating dark and light stripes.
Hedgehogs are born naked, not prickly. But after a few hours they are covered with white and dark needles. After two weeks, the babies open their eyes. By this time, the needles are already hard, like those of an adult hedgehog. He may already be puffing them up. Many animals exhibit special behavior to protect themselves. The cat hisses, arching its back upward. The bee stings. A hedgehog hides under a prickly shell.
Almost transparent ears protrude from the prickly shell, and the abdomen is unprotected and soft. Without thorns, it would be difficult for the hedgehog family to survive. However, do not overestimate the thorns. Some birds have quite sharp claws, and their “palms” are covered with thick skin, and they are not afraid of hedgehog thorns.
The fox does not have such “mittens”. But they say that she also likes to eat hedgehog meat. If there is a pond or puddle nearby, the fox will carefully roll the ball towards the water. The hedgehog must turn around willy-nilly. This is what the fox needs.
It is believed that the hedgehog needs spines to store mushrooms and apples. How not to remember the illustrations by V. Suteev! On them the hedgehog holds an apple on the thorns. Many people mistakenly believe that hedgehogs eat apples and mushrooms. But that's not true.
The hedgehog is a predator. They often kept it in houses instead of cats. Of course, he doesn’t specifically hunt mice, because he doesn’t run that fast. It is also not the animal’s habit to watch for prey.
It has also not been established that snakes occupy a prominent place in the diet of hedgehogs. But there is evidence that in places where hedgehogs have been destroyed, huge numbers of snakes appear. It is known that hedgehogs are not susceptible to snake venoms. The hedgehog deftly avoids the poisonous teeth of the snake, exposing its prickly side.
Hedgehogs usually feed on insects and berries. Usually during the night he eats as much food as he weighs. And in the spring, the hedgehog, hungry during the winter, eats even more.
Hedgehogs overwinter alone, climbing into a hole and hibernating. At this time, they live off what they have accumulated since the fall subcutaneous fat. Therefore, they do not make stocks from mushrooms and berries.
However, hedgehogs string apples, mushrooms and even leaves onto their spines. So they... take a shower.
People have been interested in this animal for a long time. In the ancient world, combs were made from hedgehog skins dried and stretched on planks - combs for sheep's wool. Nowadays, they often try to tame the animal and place it in their homes. But neither milk nor human care can replace green grass and earth. People also feel bad when they have a hedgehog. At night he runs and stomps. At this time, he got used to getting his own food. As it was recently discovered, hedgehogs live on ticks that spread serious diseases. So, let the cute animal live where it belongs. We can only rejoice at meeting him.
Literature:
Y. Dmitriev, N. Pozharitskaya, A. Vladimirov, V. Porudominsky “Book of Nature”
Encyclopedia “What is it? Who it?"