In the Common Hedgehog, as in most species of the genus Erinaceus, the feet are all composed of five toes; the legs are short, so that the animal runs along with its belly nearly touching the ground; the spines, with which the whole upper surface is covered, are hard, sharp, round, about an inch in length, of a dirty-white colour, with a dark-brown or nearly black ring a little above the middle; the nose is black, and the unspined parts of the body are clothed with coarse yellowish-white hair. The ears are small and rounded. The total length of the adult Hedgehog is usually about ten inches.
HEDGEHOG.
The Hedgehog inhabits the whole of Europe except Scandinavia and the north of Russia. It is found in the Caucasus, but does not appear to extend further into Asia. It lives both in the low country and in the mountains, ascending, in the Alps and Carpathians, to an elevation of above 6,000 feet. It may be met with in almost all situations, in forests, woods, fields, gardens, and orchards, where it takes up its abode in thickets, in hedge-bottoms, and even in holes in walls. In such situations it passes its days in sleep, for it is, strictly speaking, a nocturnal animal, although on rare occasions it may be seen abroad in the day-time. In similar situations it passes the whole winter in a profound slumber, forming a nest for itself of moss or leaves, sometimes under the smaller growth of woods and gardens, sometimes in a hedge-bank, in the hollows and among the bare roots of trees, and in holes among rocks or in walls. The nest most commonly consists in whole or in part of withered leaves, which appear to be useful in keeping out the wet, and as the innermost leaves are impaled upon the animal’s spines, it retains a thin coat of leaves when turned out of its winter-nest.
As the spring advances, the Hedgehog rouses itself from its long sleep, and proceeds to make up for the enforced abstinence from food which it has undergone for so many weeks. It comes forth in the evening, and runs about pretty quickly, but with a curious shuffling gait, in search of the insects and other small animals which constitute its usual prey. Insects, and particularly Beetles, appear to form the greater part of its diet, and its teeth are admirably adapted for pounding up the hard skins of these creatures. In consequence of their predilection for insect food, great numbers of Hedgehogs are brought to London and other great towns, to be kept in houses for the purpose of destroying the Cockroaches (Blackbeetles, as they are commonly called) which are such disagreeable inmates of most kitchens. In the pursuit of these insects the Hedgehog shows much activity, and Mr. Bell says that he has “seen a Hedgehog, in a London kitchen, push its way beneath a piece of carpet in all directions, and heard it at intervals crushing up the Cockroaches which it met with. In a short time it freed the place of these pests.” Sometimes, however, this consummation is not quite so easily attained, and we have heard of more than one instance in which the first Hedgehog brought into the house as a Beetle-killer actually died of overfeeding, and at least one other had to be procured before the plague of Cockroaches was got rid of.
Besides insects, the Hedgehog feeds on earthworms, slugs, and snails, and in destroying the latter it may certainly be regarded as a friend to the gardener. The consumption of earthworms is performed in a rather curious manner. These animals are seized when they are enjoying the damp freshness of the air out of their holes in summer evenings, and slowly passed into the mouth of their enemy from one end to the other apparently by the simple process of mastication with the molar teeth, the unconsumed portion of the worm being constantly transferred from one side of the mouth to the other, so that both sides of the jaw may come into play. This must be an unpleasant operation for the worm, much as its captor may enjoy it. It is uncertain whether the larger snails are eaten by the Hedgehog, no fragments of their shells having been found in the stomachs of specimens examined, but the smaller species, belonging to the genera Vitrina and Zonitis, certainly form a portion of its diet. Mr. Bell says that “the small Slug, Limax agrestis, is a favourite morsel with the Hedgehog, and is often scratched out and eaten in the summer months when concealed in the day in crevices, or amongst the roots of grass or other close herbage.”
The Hedgehog does not, however, confine itself exclusively to the consumption of invertebrate prey; Frogs and Toads, Mice, and even Snakes, are not exempt from its attacks. Mr. Broderip many years ago published in the “Zoological Journal” an interesting account of an experiment made by Professor Buckland to ascertain how the Hedgehog deals with a prey apparently so formidable as a Snake. He says:—“The Professor procured a common Snake, and also a Hedgehog, and put them into a box together. Whether or not the former recognised its enemy was not apparent; it did not dart from the Hedgehog, but kept creeping gently round the box; the Hedgehog was rolled up, and did not appear to see the Snake. The Professor then laid the Hedgehog on the Snake, with that part of the ball where the head and tail meet downwards, and touching it. The Snake proceeded to crawl; the Hedgehog started, opened slightly, and seeing what was under it, gave the Snake a hard bite, and instantly rolled itself up again. It soon opened a second and again a third time, repeating the bite; and by the third bite the back of the Snake was broken. This done, the Hedgehog stood by the Snake’s side, and passed the whole body of the Snake successively through its jaws, cracking it, and breaking the bones at intervals of half an inch or more, by which operation the Snake was rendered motionless. The Hedgehog then placed itself at the tip of the Snake’s tail, and began to eat upwards, as one would eat a radish, without intermission, but slowly, till half the Snake was devoured. The following morning the remaining half was also completely eaten up.” According to the statements of some observers, the Hedgehog will destroy not only the harmless common Snake, but also the Viper, and Professor Lenz has described in great detail the mode in which the Hedgehog disposes of this formidable antagonist. The strange part of his account is that the Hedgehog pursues the Viper for some time, smelling at it and licking it, and submitting to repeated bites from the venomous reptile before proceeding to extremities. It then kills the Viper by crushing its head, and proceeds to devour it from that end, without showing any signs of being injured by the poison of the Snake. This curious immunity is said to extend also to other poisons, some of which are at least doubtful; but it seems certain that the Hedgehog will devour the ordinary Blister Beetles (Cantharides) without inconvenience, although a very small dose of them would destroy much larger animals. Tschudi, however, has remarked that the acrid liquid secreted by the skin of Toads is disagreeable to the Hedgehog; in eating a Toad he rubs his muzzle on the ground after each bite.
From the narrow point of view of usefulness to man, we may up to this point have a very favourable opinion of the Hedgehog, but he has some other peculiarities which may perhaps be regarded as drawbacks. One of these is his attacking young game, and another his fondness for eggs. One of the editors of Bell’s “British Quadrupeds” mentions an instance of the capture of a young Hare by a Hedgehog. A Hedgehog has also been caught in the act of worrying a young Rook which had fallen from the nest; and the general testimony of sportsmen and gamekeepers is to the effect that no small and young animals will come amiss to the Hedgehog. There is also no doubt that the Hedgehog will feed on the eggs of birds wherever it finds them; and it is even stated that it will make its way into a fowl-house, turn the hen off her eggs, and devour the latter.
The diet of the Hedgehog does not appear to be exclusively of an animal nature; in confinement it will feed readily on soaked bread and on cooked vegetables, and in a natural state it is said to eat the roots of plants and the fruits that fall from the trees in gardens and orchards. Gilbert White says:—“The manner in which they eat the roots of the plantain in my garden is very curious; with their upper mandible, which is much longer than their lower, they bore under the plant, and so eat the root off upwards, leaving the tuft of leaves untouched.” Some writers have believed that the Hedgehog is so fond of fruit as actually to climb the trees, knock off apples and pears, and then throwing itself down upon them so that they may stick to its spines, walk off quietly with its booty to some quiet retreat. According to Ælian, the ancient Greek Hedgehogs played a somewhat similar trick with figs.