Page 26 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)
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A spiny coat
Up to 5,000 sharp, stiff spines, sticking
out at all angles, are enough to put off most
predators. The spiny coat is the main defense
of the Western, or European, hedgehog, a
familiar mammal in the gardens, hedgerows,
parks, and woodlands of Europe. Each spine is a
hair changed during evolution into a sharp,
stiff spike about 1 in (2.5 cm) long. The
hedgehog’s behavior has evolved together
with its spines, so that when in serious
trouble it rolls into a ball shape and As danger passes the
waits for danger to pass. head and front
legs emerge
ALL CLEAR
T
3 he hedgehog has decided that
the main threat is over and now is
the time to leave. Its head
straightens and is first to come out of
the ball, so that the animal can
smell, hear, and see clearly. Also
Hedgehog cautiously beginning to emerge are its front
begins to unroll legs. The hedgehog has surprisingly
long legs, usually hidden under its
mantle of spines. It can run well,
burrow, clamber over low walls, and
swim when it needs to.
CAUTIOUS PEEP
T
2 he spines physically frighten the
enemy, and they also act as a springy
cushion should the hedgehog be pushed
Fully rolled hedgehog down a slope or against a tree. After a few
has no vulnerable parts moments of calm, the hedgehog relaxes slightly
and peeks out of its prickly protection. Its eyesight is
relatively poor, but its sense of smell is keen, and
vibrations in the ground made by a creature moving
nearby are felt by way of the spines.
ALLOVER PROTECTION
1 n the face of danger, the hedgehog quickly tucks in its head,
I
legs, and tail, and arches its back into a U-shape. A “cloak” of muscle
under the loose skin pulls itself down over the head, sides, and
rear. A band of muscle running around the edge of this cloak
contracts, acting like a drawstring to pull the mantle of spines
together around the underparts. The spines are automatically
raised in the process. This defensive behavior produces the tight
ball that presents nothing but spines to the molester.
DEADLY ENEMY
The fox hunts many smaller mammals, including hedgehogs. It
may poke and prod at a tightly rolled hedgehog for some time
in an attempt to make the animal uncurl and run off,
whereupon the fox claws at the vulnerable belly.
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