Hedgehog Research Paper
Overview
Mention the spiky Hedgehog and the first thing to pop up in their mind is the main character of the Sonic the Hedgehog games Sonic himself. However, the real life hedgehog is not blue or as fast as it is portrayed in its cartoon version. Found through parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand, the tiny little mammal is facing a food shortage, human encroachment, and unpredictable weather. Since the year 2000, the poor creature has been facing a fall in population. The hedgehog is scientifically known as Erinaceus europaeus. From the video on Arkive.org, it shows that the has a coat of stiff, sharp spines. The female can have a litter from one to eleven hoglets, they stay with their mother for four to seven weeks before heading out on their own (National …show more content…
Hedgehogs may not migrate, but they do travel “between one and two miles a night to forage for food” (Torrance). As the hedgehog searches in looking for food they look for the small creatures that compose of their diet “--insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes” (National Geographic). Badgers are known as the natural predator of hedgehogs in the UK; “as they are the only creature strong enough to overcome the spiny defenses” hedgehogs try to avoid areas where badgers are present (Hedgehog Street). According to People’s Trust for Endangered Species-- “which has been monitoring hedgehog deaths and populations”--, hedgehog population has dropped by 78% since 2001 (Platt). The largest decrease of population was in Wales. Mr. Jones, a retired mechanical engineer from Wales states, "It would be a huge loss because one of the major things about hedgehogs is they are a gardener’s friend, they do a tremendous amount of good, they eat a lot of pests, and they are a tremendous part of our heritage,"
Mention the spiky Hedgehog and the first thing to pop up in their mind is the main character of the Sonic the Hedgehog games Sonic himself. However, the real life hedgehog is not blue or as fast as it is portrayed in its cartoon version. Found through parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand, the tiny little mammal is facing a food shortage, human encroachment, and unpredictable weather. Since the year 2000, the poor creature has been facing a fall in population. The hedgehog is scientifically known as Erinaceus europaeus. From the video on Arkive.org, it shows that the has a coat of stiff, sharp spines. The female can have a litter from one to eleven hoglets, they stay with their mother for four to seven weeks before heading out on their own (National …show more content…
Hedgehogs may not migrate, but they do travel “between one and two miles a night to forage for food” (Torrance). As the hedgehog searches in looking for food they look for the small creatures that compose of their diet “--insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes” (National Geographic). Badgers are known as the natural predator of hedgehogs in the UK; “as they are the only creature strong enough to overcome the spiny defenses” hedgehogs try to avoid areas where badgers are present (Hedgehog Street). According to People’s Trust for Endangered Species-- “which has been monitoring hedgehog deaths and populations”--, hedgehog population has dropped by 78% since 2001 (Platt). The largest decrease of population was in Wales. Mr. Jones, a retired mechanical engineer from Wales states, "It would be a huge loss because one of the major things about hedgehogs is they are a gardener’s friend, they do a tremendous amount of good, they eat a lot of pests, and they are a tremendous part of our heritage,"