ALL+互動英語(雜誌版) 5月號/2019 第174期

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The Secrets of the Hedgehog

關於可愛刺蝟的二三事

－Marie McMaster

5/15

There’s no question hedgehogs are utterly adorable with their little snouts, bright eyes, and furry tummies. But with their backs covered with sharp spines, how do you hold them without being stabbed? Though hedgehogs are often shy about being handled by people, there is a secret to snuggling these little fellows.

When hedgehogs are relaxed, their spines lie flat, so if stroked from front to back, they will feel smooth. It’s only when they’re afraid or upset that their spines stand up. Hedgehogs have between 5,000 and 7,000 spines, which are controlled by their muscular backs. Their go-to defense method is to roll into a ball, a position that allows the spines to protect the head, legs, and soft belly.

Although their eyes are shiny, they can’t see particularly well because they’re nocturnal. Due to their poor vision, they have to rely on their hearing and sense of smell to get around and find food. When hedgehogs encounter anything with an unfamiliar scent, they will lick or chew it and then transfer the smell to their spines with their tongues. This odd behavior is called “self-anointing,” and scientists still aren’t completely sure why they do it.

刺蝟小小的鼻子、明亮的眼睛和毛茸茸的肚子毫無疑問可愛極了。可是牠們的背上覆蓋著尖銳的刺，你要如何抓牠們而不被刺到？雖然刺蝟通常不太願意被人觸碰，但要抱這些小傢伙還是有訣竅的。

刺蝟放鬆時，牠們的刺會攤平，所以如果從前面往後面輕摸，會覺得摸起來很柔順。只有在牠們害怕或不高興時，牠們的刺才會豎起來。刺蝟身上有五千至七千根刺，是由牠們的背肌所控制。牠們一定會採取的防禦方法是捲成一顆球，這個姿勢可以讓刺來保護頭、腿和柔軟的肚子。

雖然牠們的眼睛閃閃發亮，但看得不是特別清楚，因為牠們是夜行性動物。由於牠們的視力不佳，得要仰賴聽力和嗅覺來四處走動和尋找食物。當刺蝟遇到任何不熟悉的氣味，牠們會舔它或咀嚼它，然後用舌頭把那個味道轉移到刺上。這個奇怪的行為稱作「塗刺」，科學家仍無法完全確定牠們為什麼這麼做。

 

5/16

What do you call baby hedgehogs? They’re referred to as hoglets, a name almost as cute as they are! At around four to six weeks old, hoglets leave their mothers to fend for themselves. They can start having their own offspring in their second year. Hedgehogs are not very sociable, which means they don’t form groups or even pair up to raise young. 

The name hedgehog comes from the animal’s preference for living around hedges and the little pig-like sounds they make when they’re rooting for food. They mainly hunt insects but will also eat slugs, fruit, mushrooms, bird eggs, and small dead animals. Shockingly, they can eat at least one third of their body weight in a single night!

Although hedgehogs are really cute, many breeds don’t make great pets because they don’t do well in captivity. As wild animals, they often roam two to three kilometers every night, making it cruel to keep them in cages. Since they’re solitary by nature, they also don’t want or need human company. If you love hedgehogs, make sure you do your research and buy only domesticated breeds. Better yet, help a charity that protects them in the wild rather than getting one of your own.

你會怎麼稱呼刺蝟寶寶？牠們被稱作小刺蝟（hoglets），這名字幾乎和牠們一樣可愛！在四到六週大時，小刺蝟會離開媽媽自己照顧自己。牠們兩歲時就可以開始繁衍後代。刺蝟不是喜歡群居的動物，意思是牠們不會組成團體，甚至不會和伴侶一起養育幼子。

刺蝟（hedgehog）的名稱來自於這種動物偏好生活在樹籬（hedge）附近，以及牠們在尋找食物時會發出像豬叫的小聲音。牠們主要捕捉昆蟲為食，不過也會吃蛞蝓、水果、磨菇、鳥蛋和小動物的屍體。令人訝異的是，牠們可以光是一個晚上就吃進至少體重三分之一的食物！

雖然刺蝟真的很可愛，但許多品種都不適合當寵物，因為牠們不喜歡被關著。作為野生動物，牠們每天晚上常會遊蕩兩、三公里，把牠們關在籠子裡是很殘忍的。由於牠們天性獨來獨往，牠們也不想或不需要人類陪伴。如果你喜歡刺蝟，務必要做好功課而且只買馴化的品種。更好的是，幫助保護野生刺蝟的慈善機構，而不是自己養一隻。

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