Eurasian Hedgehog :: essays research papers

CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Insectivora, family Erinacediae, genus Erinaceus, phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, subclass Theria, intraclass Eutheria. DIAGNOSIS. Erinaceus europaeus can be distinguished from other hedgehogs by spines and its size. The spines average about 1 inch in length (Grolier 1972). The quills are set in transverse bands, which vary in color. It has approximately 5000 spines (Feldhamer et al. 1999). Erinaceus europaeus is about 7 to 10 inches (17.5-25.4 cm). GENERAL CHARACTERS. E. europaeus males are 10  ¨Ãƒ ¹ inches long. The female averages  ¨Ãƒ º inches smaller. They average 10-12 inches including the tail. The length of the tail is 1 inch. The tail consists of 12 vertebrae (Beddard 1902). Also, the tail is thin, cylindrical, and naked or scantily haired. The weight of both males and females can get up to 2  ¨Ãƒ ¸ lbs. (Burton and Burton 1969) or 400-1100 grams (Grzimek 1968). HRL is 13.5-30 cm and TL is 1-5 cm (Grzimek 1968). The height of the shoulders is 5-6 inches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The quills covering the back and the top of the head are  ¨Ãƒ º-1 inch in length. Each spine is set at an angle to the skin. They are set in transverse bands, which vary in color from base to tip depending on the various zones of the body. Some of the spines have a yellowish-gray color. The spines do not have grooves. The rest of the body is covered with coarse hair. This area is light brown (Grolier 1972).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of the four feet have five clawed toes. There are 5 pads on the sole. E. europaeus walk on the sole of their feet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are 14 or 15 ribs in E. europaeus the also do not have a caecum. DISTRIBUTION. Erinaceus europaeus occurs throughout Europe and Northern Asia. In Asia, it goes as far north as the limits of the deciduous forests. They live in burrows, which are often dug in a bank or stump. FORM AND FUNCTION. On the back and top of the head, E. europaeus has sharp spines. On the bottom of the body, legs, and tail is a coarse fur coat.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They have rounded bodies and are squat. The muzzle is sharp and comes to a point. The eyes are roundish and broader than they are long. The ears are small and round, which barely project beyond the hair and spines. Both the eyes and the ears are well developed. The sight seems to be poor, but smell and hearing are acute.