After mating, the pregnancy proceeds on average from 40 to 56 days. Cubs appear only once a year. Usually in the litter 4 ezhonka. Babies are born completely helpless, blind and naked.
But after a few hours, pink needles appear on the pink skin of baby hedgehog. At first they are soft, but within a day hardening and growth of the prickly cover occurs. The development of the hedgehog is such that at first they are covered with a protective fur coat, then they learn to curl up into a ball, and only then they open their eyes.
Up to a month the cubs are fed milk of the mother. Inhabits the female with the kids in a secluded den from the collected leaves and brushwood. If someone finds a nest, the hedgehog carries the offspring to another safe place. The independent life of the hedgehog starts to lead to about two months, but finally leave their native lair in late autumn. Sexual maturity occurs by 12 months.
Life expectancy of hedgehogs in nature is small, 3-5 years. The reason lies in the numerous predators. In captivity, they live longer, up to 10-15 years. But animals are not adapted to the content at home.
It should be noted that they are nocturnal, noisy, and completely resistant to training. Therefore, experience dictates that hedgehogs are not recommended pets. Many people consider hedgehogs to be useless for humans. But what kind of animal hedgehog, reasoned nature itself, generously scattering them around the world.
