Hedgehogs are amazing creatures, because during evolution, the hairline on their backs has turned into a tough needle-like bristle that protects from predators. Like any other animal, hedgehogs molt, but they do it slowly and in a special way.
Instructions
Step 1
All fur-covered animals sooner or later enter the molting period. In some species, molt lasts year-round, old hairs die off, and new ones grow back. In other animals, molting occurs seasonally, that is, in spring and autumn, when the animals need to change their outfit before the coming frosts or summer heat. Among all animals with a fur coat, hedgehogs are of the main interest in terms of molting. It may seem to many that their tough needles have nothing to do with fluffy fur, but in fact, the hedgehog's needles are thickened and deformed hairs, which in their structure strongly resemble ordinary hardened wool. In addition, on the abdomen of the hedgehog there is quite soft fur, which does not have increased thorniness.
Step 2
The specificity of hedgehogs molting is determined by the peculiarities of their needles. Each needle is a hollow tube filled with air. As in the case of hairs, each needle has transverse compartments, with the only difference that in the case of needles, these compartments are more pronounced. Under the skin, the needles are attached using a special plate, in contrast to wool, which is attached using a bulbous shape. Thus, it turns out that the hedgehog sheds differently on the abdomen and on the back. The loss of needles is quite traumatic for the hedgehog, since the lamellar form, which is the hypodermic base of the needle, is fastened to the muscle fiber, which allows the needles to be raised and lowered in case of danger.
Step 3
When the needle falls out, the muscle fiber tears, and the needle itself falls out along with a small area of skin. During the healing process, a new plate is formed at the site of the lost needle, and then a new needle. During the natural loss of needles, hedgehogs do not experience any discomfort, since the nerve endings in this area lose sensitivity. With the hairs on the belly, paws and face of the hedgehog, everything is much simpler, since they are attached in the skin on ordinary hair follicles, which are simply unlocked, then the bulbs wake up, due to which old and damaged hairs are replaced.
Step 4
The phase of active molting in hedgehogs teaches in spring and autumn. This process is very slow, since only 1 of 3 needles can be renewed in a year. A new needle grows back over a period of 12-15 months, depending on how well the hedgehog ate. The change of fur in hedgehogs is much faster. It was noticed that after awakening from hibernation, the fur of hedgehogs becomes more rare, since in summer a warm fur coat is not needed for hedgehogs. In preparation for hibernation, the woolly cover becomes very thick and a large number of longer hairs appear, thus reducing the heat loss of a sleeping animal during cold weather.
