In captivity, hedgehogs are able to live much longer than in nature. Indeed, in the wild they have a sufficient number of predatory enemies, and sometimes there is not enough food for the full life support of their body. Of course, there are no such problems at home, but there are others.
All hedgehogs are mammals belonging to the order of insectivores. In the wild, they are a kind of forest orderlies, since they destroy quite a lot of insects that cause irreparable damage to forests.
It is a mistake to believe that hedgehogs prick mushrooms, berries and other food on their needles. This is not true. The only thing that hedgehogs carry on their backs are leaves.
Life span of hedgehogs
It should be noted that in many respects the life expectancy of hedgehogs depends on external factors that dictate their own conditions. Today it has been proven that hedgehogs live in captivity much longer than in nature. For example, the life span of an ordinary (European) hedgehog in nature is from two to five years, and in captivity - from eight to ten. Large species of hedgehogs can live even longer: in nature from four to seven years, and in captivity - up to sixteen years.
What determines their lifespan?
In the wild, there are many factors that significantly reduce the life of these insectivores. For example, if an ordinary hedgehog does not gain a certain amount of fat reserves during the time allotted to him before hibernation, then in winter he risks dying of hunger.
In addition, do not forget that hedgehogs themselves are food sources for some predators. The needles are not always able to protect them from such enemies as foxes, large owls, owls, hawks with strong beaks and long claws that want to catch a tasty hedgehog. In such conditions, the average life expectancy of a representative of almost any type of hedgehog is no more than five years.
It is not uncommon for hedgehogs to stick unstyled cigarette butts on their needles. Scientists still do not understand this behavior of these animals. However, there is an assumption that in this way hedgehogs fight forest parasites on the body.
There are also more tragic cases of the death of these animals in nature. Since many of the forests in which hedgehogs live border on the highway, the poor animals often fall under the wheels of passing cars.
In captivity, the hedgehog, in principle, is not whimsical, but due to its nocturnal lifestyle, it is very vulnerable to certain troubles. The fact is that while a person is sleeping, a hedgehog can crawl into some small hole or into a narrow gap, get stuck there and die. Some individuals, in a fit of their curiosity, can generally jump from a balcony or from a high table. This will not lead to anything good either.
Hedgehogs are one of the few living creatures that calmly and steadily react to the poison of vipers. In addition, poisons such as mercuric chloride, arsenic and opium are weak on them.
In addition, keeping hedgehogs at home a priori also implies their veterinary examination, which must be carried out with enviable regularity. Otherwise, the life span of the hedgehog naturally decreases.
