Natural History: Mammalia/Erinaceadæ

by Philip Henry Gosse

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Family I. Erinacreadæ .

(Hedgehogs.)

The Hedgehogs are distinguished by being covered, more or less exclusively, with spines or stiff bristles. In one foreign genus (Gymnura) however, spines are mingled with woolly hair., They have the faculty of rolling themselves up into a ball; and thus, presenting only an array of stiff spines pointing in every direction, are well defended from injury. All their limbs are formed for walking.

The genera are confined to the Old World; the true Hedgehogs (Erinaceus) are distributed over Europe, Asia, and Africa, while others are assigned to Madagascar, and the Oriental Islands.

Genus Earnaceus. (Linn.)

A body covered wholly with stiff spines; a pointed muzzle; ashort tail; together with peculiarities of the teeth, mark the genus Hrinaceus, of which our common Hedgehog or Urchin (L. Europeus, Linn.) is afamiliar example. The dentition, according to M. F. Cuvier, is as follows:—inc. 6/2; can, 0—0/0—0; mol. 7—7/7—7:=36 but some naturalists consider the anterior two false molars on each side of the lower jaws to be incisors. The cutting teeth of the upper jaw are long, robust, and prominent.

The inoffensive Hedgehog is well known in the rural districts of this country, for its singular, but most efficacious means of defence against injury. Slow of foot, it cannot flee from danger, nor has it any natural weapons of offence; but in the sharp, hard, and tough prickles of its coat it is endowed, as Mr. Bell observes, "with a safeguard more secure and effectual than the teeth and claws of the Wild Cat, or the fleetness of the Hare." A remarkable array of powerful muscles exists beneath

HEDGEHOG.

HEDGEHOG.

the skin of the whole body, by the contraction of which the animal, on the slightest alarm, is able to roll itself up into the form of a ball, the head and limbs being enclosed in the centre. The more forcible the muscular contraction, the more rigidly do the spines project from every part of the surface, so that it cannot be touched with impunity. A thorough-bred Terrier, however, will sometimes succeed in forcing open the poor Urchin, at the expense of a bloody nose, and sorely pricked paws; and immersion in water more readily produces the same effect.

The food of the Hedgehog is not confined to insects and worms: Mr. Jesse speaks of its eating frogs, and of its mousing like a cat; and Mr. Broderip has described an interesting experiment which proved that it feeds upon snakes. The Hedgehog unfolding itself suddenly, gave the snake a severe bite, and instantly rolled itself up again. Having by another bite, broken the back of the reptile, it passed the whole length of the body through its jaws, breaking the bones at each bite; having done which, it began to eat the snake from the tail upwards, "as one would eat a radish." It also eats vegetable food. White of Selborne affirms that it gnaws off the root of the plantain, boring under the plant, and leaving the tuft of leaves untouched. It also devours fruits; and in a state of domestication it is fed upon soaked bread or boiled vegetables. It is not unfrequently kept in kitchens, for its service in hunting and devouring cockroaches. Its activity is nocturnal; during the day it lies snugly housed in a hole at the root of some tree; where, too, in a warm nest of moss and dry leaves, which it has collected, it passes the winter months, coiled up in insensibility.

The young ones, which are frequently called Hedgepigs, are born blind; the points of the spines already project from the skin, but are yet soft and flexible. Some time elapses before they acquire the power of completely rolling themselves up. The female is a careful and attentive mother.

The Hedgehog is susceptible of kindness. Mr. Bell records of one in the possession of a friend, that it would unfold and lie on its master's knees before the fire, suffering him to rub the naked parts of its face, and appearing to feel pleasure from the action. Mr. Jesse tells of a tame one which he had, that was accustomed to "nestle before the fire on the stomach of an old lazy terrier dog, who was much attached to it; and the best understanding existed between them." Uniform kindness of treatment, will produce in almost all animals correspondent confidence and affection.