Ads
related to: best diet for hedgehogs
Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Hedgehogs have a relatively long lifespan for their size. In captivity, lack of predators and controlled diet contribute to a lifespan of eight to ten years depending on size. In the wild, larger species live four to seven years (some recorded up to 16 years), and smaller species live two to four years (four to seven in captivity).
In the wild, a hedgehog is opportunistic and will eat many things, but the majority of the diet comprises insects. As insectivores, hedgehogs need a diet that is high in protein and low in fat. They also require chitin, which comes from the exoskeleton of insects; fiber in the diet may be a substitute for the chitin component. There are ...
A European hedgehog eating fish carcass, photographed in Altai Krai A European hedgehog eating fallen fruits European hedgehog foraging in hedgerow The European hedgehog is an insectivore . Its diet consists largely of earthworms , as well as snails and slugs, beetles , ants, bees and wasps, earwigs , cockroaches, crickets and grasshoppers ...
Wildlife experts say warmer temperatures mean less hibernation and more parasites for hedgehogs.
The idea that these animals eat only slugs and snails is a myth; this type of food makes up only about 5% of their natural diet. The breakdown of a wild hedgehog's diet is as follows: 30% beetles, 25% caterpillars, 11% earthworms, 10% bird eggs, 5% mammal meat, 5% slugs and snails, 3% millipedes, 3% earwigs, 2% bees, 1% bird meat and 5% that ...
The Southern African hedgehog is an omnivore and its diet typically consists of invertebrates, including beetles, termites, grasshoppers, moths, centipedes, millipedes, and slugs. [3] They also eat small vertebrates, including frogs, lizards, bird chicks, and small mice, as well as carrion, bird eggs, vegetable matter, and fungi. [ 3 ]