All language subtitles for Year.of.the.Hedgehog.2009.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG3_English

(soft music)

- [Narrator] He is
unmistakable and familiar

to every child, the hedgehog.

(inspiring music)

Even so, he still holds many secrets.

These primeval looking insectivores

have populated the earth

for millions of years, almost unchanged.

(fast cheerful music)

Time and time again they
conquered new habitats,

and even high losses
inflicted by their enemies

could never seriously
endanger their numbers.

(orchestral fanfare)

As lord of snakes or fruit collector,

the hedgehog even plays a leading role

in many old folktales.

And he is never too shy to
make a cheeky appearance.

(cheerful music)

But what does it actually look like,

they year of the hedgehog?

(grand musical fanfare)

Autumn, with thick fog and a
fireworks display of color,

the year enters its final round.

The rapidly shortening days
and falling temperatures

cause the leaves to dance to the ground

in their hundreds of millions.

(fast busy music)

The squirrel is already getting ready

for the approaching
winter, eating fatty nuts,

and hoarding them in its food caches.

The edible dormouse hibernates and has to

pack on enough fat reserves
to last it for months.

(birds twittering)

The hedgehog is also
considered a true hibernator.

For weeks he's been searching tirelessly

for energy-rich food.

He's already put on some fat reserves

for the cold winter months.

He needs to weigh at least 500 grams

to survive his long sleep.

The autumn crocus is among
the last blooms of the year.

But the hedgehog is after something else.

Delicious windfalls provide him with

an abundance of foods in autumn.

(hedgehog crunching food)

The available food supply drops
along with the temperatures.

And so the hedgehog wanders
through even larger areas

in search of something edible.

In the meadow's grassy
jungle another small thief

is searching for food as well, the shrew.

Although it closely resembles a mouse,

the shrew is not a rodent
but an insectivore,

and thus a near relative of the hedgehog.

Its high metabolic rate requires it

to eat almost constantly,
or else it quickly starves.

(fast busy music)

Some consume insects and worms

equivalent to their own weight each day.

Bats are also gluttonous insectivores.

Although they have taken
another evolutionary path,

they are nevertheless closely related

to shrews and hedgehogs.

(eerie music)

Bats are entirely nocturnal creatures

that feed on flying insects.

Their food supply vanishes completely

during the cold season's frost.

Their only chance to
survive is to hibernate.

Species like the greater mouse-eared bat

gather by the hundreds in autumn,

before the upcoming hibernation.

As early as October, some nights may see

the ground temperature
drop to around freezing.

Yet young and undernourished hedgehogs

are still wandering around in
their search for more food.

(slow sad music)

Young hedgehogs that
protract their foraging

into late autumn are in great danger.

Once the outside temperature

drops below six degrees celsius,

hedgehogs slip into a light drowse.

If the temperature fails to
rise, they may freeze to death.

Now it's high time to search for shelter.

Hedgehogs don't dig their own burrows,

but look for existing hollows
under hedges and shrubs.

(uplifting music)

The entrance to the nest is usually

camouflaged by dense vegetation

and difficult to access for their enemies.

Insulating foliage and soil make sure

the temperature inside
never drops below freezing,

even if the thermometer shows

minus 20 degrees celsius outside.

(slow music)

From October to April the hedgehog's nest

provides him a safe place to stay.

The dormouse leaves his burrow

for the last time this year too.

This rodent's diet includes

a wide variety of fruits and plants.

(crickets chirping)

(owl hooting)

(leaves crunching)

Hazelnuts are particularly sought after

by the dormouse just before it hibernates.

Their high fat content makes
them an ideal energy supply.

Before the long sleep,
it's a virtue among dormice

to be overweight.

(birds singing)

(inspiring music)

Near the end of the year the temperatures

seldom rise above freezing.

Now it's only a matter of time

until frost and snow dominate the land.

(wind whispering)

(inspiring music)

Dormice prefer to keep their

winter quarters in hollow tree trunks.

But occasionally they may also be found

in the attics of country houses.

Quite frequently several
animals share a nest,

so they can warm each
other during their sleep,

which some years can
last up to seven months.

(dramatic music)

(wind whistling)

Even if everything is
frozen solid outside,

life always finds a way.

The hedgehog is capable
of reducing his metabolism

to an absolute minimum.

His entire body is now
running in power-save mode.

His body temperature
drops by up to 30 degrees.

His heartbeat slows from
170 beats per minute,

to about five.

Because of this astounding
reduction of vital functions

the hedgehog's hibernation is
also called the small death.

It's the only way he can survive

the frost and cold for up to half a year.

But hedgehogs inhabit more than
the temperate climate zones.

They populate the entire old world.

(crickets chirping)

The desert hedgehog is perfectly adapted

to life in dry zones.

Since there are no cold
winters in the African deserts,

this species doesn't hibernate.

The desert hedgehog grows
to a mere 20 centimeters,

and weighs no more than 500 grams.

He is generally more brightly colored

than his temperate zone cousins,

and thus well adjusted
to his surroundings.

One of his defining characteristics

is a pair of large pointed ears.

They are dense with
countless blood vessels

that radiate any surplus body heat.

(quick footsteps)

Insects, lizards and
even poisonous scorpions

are part of his diet.

The sting of yellow scorpions can be

particularly dangerous,
even for a human being.

Once the desert hedgehog
catches a poisonous scorpion,

he immediately bites off the sting.

Without it, the arachnid is defenseless,

and a meal the hedgehog can
consume in peaceful safety.

(hedgehog chewing loudly)

In our part of the world, the sun is

regaining its strength by March.

Gradually the icy armor melts
and winter nears its end.

(water trickling)

The hedgehog is extremely sensitive

to weather changes near his nest.

The last days of vernal temperatures

stimulated his so-called wake-up phase.

Hormonal influences
mobilize his fat reserves

for body heat production.

His heart beats faster, and his

body temperature keeps rising.

(soft music)

This wake-up phase can
last for several hours.

(inspiring music)

(black bird cawing)

The spring awakening can't
be delayed any longer.

Life returns everywhere.

Cold and frost are only a memory.

(grand music)

Meanwhile the hedgehog has

completely shaken off his hibernation.

Usually he leaves his
winter quarters by April.

(birds twittering)

During the winter months he
lost about 40% of his weight.

Now the order of the day is
to quickly regain strength.

The immediate search for food and water

is imperative for his
launch into another year.

(delicate piano music)

Although hedgehogs are mostly nocturnal,

in spring hunger drives
them out during the day too.

Even in bright sunshine,

the spiky fellow's
vision is only moderate.

Hedgehogs rely mainly on
their fine sense of smell

and excellent hearing
to get their bearings.

The sounds of rustling
leaves and flowing water

are helpful acoustic markers..

(water rushing)

In spring the hedgehogs prove their

adaptability and resilience
time and time again.

On their search for food,

they even cross extended snow fields.

Equally fearless, the hardy common frogs

are unimpressed by the
last patches of snow.

Encouraged by the spring
sun, one after another,

they set out, still somewhat stiff-legged,

for their spawning ponds.

Even though, according to the calendar,

it's been spring for quite a while,

the icy wind returns, driving snowflakes.

Winter reports back briefly,
dotting snow crystals

between the spring flowers.

For the hedgehog, weakened
by his hibernation,

this is a particularly dangerous time.

He usually can't find his
winter burrow any more.

With no suitable shelter,

a severe cold spell may mean his death.

But soon spring cannot
be detained any longer,

and the hibernating insects awaken too.

(fast exciting music)

ground beetles discharge a
smelly secretion upon touch,

but they are still the
hedgehog's favorite prey.

(musical fanfare)

countless snow-melt puddles provide

ideal opportunities to drink.

The hedgehog needs plenty
of liquid in spring,

because during his hibernation,
he didn't drink anything.

(frogs croaking)

(birds singing)

Frogspawn is probably not the
hedgehog's preferred flavor,

but when they are hungry enough,

amphibian caviar may be on their menu too.

(water splashing softly)

(joyful music)

Once the trees are in full flower,

the hardships of winter are finally past.

In climatically favored regions,

as in the south of Austria,
hedgehogs thrive particularly.

These heat islands provide
a wealth of tasty insects.

Here, a European green lizard

shares its habitat with the hedgehogs.

Meetings rarely occur though,

because the lizard loves direct sunlight,

which hedgehogs tend to avoid.

The European bee eater also prefers

a Mediterranean micro-climate

and is frequently found
in wine growing regions.

In wine country the
hedgehogs thrive as well.

The near-natural landscapes,
which are rarely mowed,

offer an ideal environment
for these spiky inhabitants.

(hedgehog sniffing)

Despite their stubby legs, no
more than 10 centimeters long,

hedgehogs are capable
long-distance runners.

They can cover more than two
kilometers in a single day.

(gentle music)

(birds singing)

The little ringed plover builds its nest

directly on the ground.

And despite its eggs being
perfectly camouflaged,

the bird has to be watchful.

(dramatic music)

Hedgehogs love a good dinner,

even newly hatched peewit chicks

can easily become a
hungry hedgehog's prey.

Peewits are precocial
birds; they leave their nest

just a few hours after hatching.

Once the chicks are older than a week,

they stand a good chance of

surviving an encounter with a hedgehog.

(chick cheeping)

The spiky fellow strolling past shows

only moderate interest
in the young peewit.

A hedgehog's territory can
stretch as far as 20 hectares.

The extent depends mostly on
the available food supply,

which changes with the seasons.

When the dandelions wither

and their little seed umbrellas fly,

spring comes to an end.

Many hedgehog males are
now rambling far afield.

Some of them cover an area of
more than a square kilometer

in the course of just one month.

During such substantial travels,

their path frequently leads them

along edges of forests and meadows.

They prefer low vegetation,
which is easier to navigate.

The reason driving these
extensive journeys is,

as usual, to find a female.

Without much ado, the mating ritual,

also known as the
hedgehog carousel begins.

(grass crackling)

The male circles the female repeatedly,

but the chosen female makes a fuss

and gives her suitor the spiky shoulder.

Often this rough courtship can take hours.

If however, the male proves
sufficiently enduring,

he is rewarded.

In the end, the female
gives in to the pressure.

The two loners quickly

go their separate ways again after mating.

The male does not participate
in raising the young.

Instead he immediately starts looking

for more fertile females.

He can mate several
times in a single night.

(eerie music)

Landscape cultivation and
the construction of cities

have added to the variety
of the hedgehog's world.

But the spiky mammals are quite adaptable.

They have conquered
rural gardens as well as

central city parks for their habitats.

Hedgehogs are always guided by

their distinctive sense of smell.

They can smell their prey from
a distance of several meters.

Artificial light sources attract

countless insects every night.

Just like the moths, the spiky hunters

are drawn to the lamp too.

Swarming around the artificial moon

gradually tires the insects.

Many moths and bug fall
helpless to the ground.

A stroke of luck for the hedgehog,

a sumptuous banquet is about to be served.

The dazed insects are
an ideal food source,

as hedgehogs naturally prefer
slow and easily caught prey.

(hedgehog chewing loudly)

Everything is consumed, even
the chitinous wing of a moth.

In this aspect, urbanization offers

a new advantage for the hedgehogs.

Park lamps create food sources that

simply didn't exist
before the technical age.

(bugs buzzing)

(soft music)

Three weeks have passed since mating.

The pregnant female has
already gained about 150 grams,

and is due to deliver shortly.

She starts to search
for a suitable shelter,

where she can give birth
to her young undisturbed.

Here too, the proximity of humans

often proves to be a benefit.

Piles of collected leaves or
wood stacks at the forest edge

provide excellent hedgehog hiding places.

Other animals' abandoned burrows

are also frequently used
as places to give birth.

Hedgehogs in our part of the world

usually deliver once a year.

Two litters are the exception.

Following a pregnancy of about

four to six weeks, labor starts.

On average, five hoglets
mature in the female's body.

To avoid hurting the mother, their spikes

are embedded in the skin
of their backs at birth.

Just a few hours later,
the first white spikes

already start to poke out.

(inspiring music)

After a few days, the first set

is replaced by the
individual pigmented spikes

that begin to sprout.

Hedgehog babies exclusively
feed on mother's milk

during the first weeks after birth.

Feeding her young takes an
enormous toll on the mother.

Now she requires a lot of water and food.

(grand inspirational music)

Time and again she leaves the burrow

in search for something to eat.

Her completely helpless
hoglets must be left behind.

If she falls victim to an
enemy during her expeditions,

her offspring would be unable to survive.

While the hedgehog babies
are alone in the burrow,

they cuddle tightly to warm each other.

They are still unable to see or walk,

and spend most of their time sleeping.

(orchestral music)

Time is always a relative
concept in nature.

Before a deciduous forest roof is formed,

for example, centuries may pass.

Yet it takes only a few
weeks for baby hedgehogs

to turn into feisty teenagers.

Their mother still keeps
her searches for food

as brief as possible.

The hoglets are now 15 centimeters long

and weigh about 150 grams.

Their eyes are fully
developed and their spikes

already show the typical
beige-brown coloring.

At about 21 days of
age, the young hedgehogs

already sport their complete
set of primary teeth.

At about 3 1/2 weeks, they leave

their familiar surroundings
for the first time.

Curious and full of energy,

they discover a new world full of wonders.

(birds twittering)

The forest clearing is a giant

adventure playground for
this hedgehog kindergarten.

Each square centimeter offers

a flood of impressions
for their sensitive noses.

(fast cheerful music)

The next weeks are even more exhausting

for the hedgehog mother.

She has to keep a constant eye
on her boisterous offspring.

On their journeys, the hoglets
follow their mother closely.

This behavior is innate and
doesn't have to be learned.

During every break, the mother

is surrounded by her children.

They are allowed to drink and
get warm again at any time.

Successful foraging is a

long learning process
for the small hedgehogs.

At first, everything that
seems edible is tried.

Stumbling upon new or
especially intense smells,

hedgehogs exhibit a remarkable behavior.

They spit saliva on their shoulder.

The purpose of their covering themselves

with mucous remains unknown to science.

(birds singing)

In the course of just a few days,

the young hedgehogs have
already learned a lot.

Their keen interest in
bugs may be innate though.

Even the hoglets are already equipped

with needle-sharp teeth that easily deal

with hard shelled insects.

(birds chirping)

As the hoglets' hunting skills increase,

the available quantity of
mother's milk decreases in turn.

Hoglets grow quickly, and each of them

already has about 2,000 spikes,

the most prominent characteristic
of their appearance.

They continue to be
regularly warmed though,

because they're very sensitive to cold.

(gentle flute music)

Just how swiftly a year in nature passes

can be measured in many ways.

A few weeks are enough

for the meadows to
completely change their look.

The young hedgehogs have
grown into adolescents.

They have become especially fine runners,

and can hardly find room
under their mother any more.

Soon the female hedgehog's
milk production ceases.

It's an unambiguous sign for her

to leave her offspring to their own fate.

At first the siblings are
unaware of the new situation,

but it means parting forever.

They will never see their mother again.

(slow sad music)

At last the hoglets have to
become fully independent.

The life of a loner is ahead of them.

Each starts to look for a
territory of his or her own.

Meadows and the edges of forests

offer perfect conditions
for young hedgehogs

striking off into an
independent existence.

What's most critical
about these environments

is their diversity, because
near-natural landscapes

host the greatest variety of insects.

Hedgehogs are tough and able to

come to terms with many an obstacle.

Just how adaptable they are is
proven by their family tree,

reaching back more than 60 million years.

Always following their sensitive noses,

their path occasionally leads them

to the edges of forests
and even deeper too.

(dramatic music)

giant eyes peer into the dark forest.

The Eurasian eagle owl, Europe's
biggest owl, goes hunting.

Even in total darkness,

it is capable of spotting
its prey, small mammals.

Its hearing is superlative as well.

Despite a wingspan of one meter,

the eagle owl flies
without making a sound,

due to its silky-soft plumage.

Its prey can't hear the
eagle owl's approach.

The hedgehog is part of the
eagle owl's regular diet.

Long before he's aware of any danger,

the eagle owl has already spotted him.

(suspenseful music)

(musical crashing)

Thus many young hedgehogs end up

as other hunters' prey every year.

But their loss is accounted
for in the ecosystem,

and it doesn't endanger the species.

The beech martin also
leads a nocturnal life.

And occasionally the paths
of hedgehog and martin cross.

But caution is advised;

hedgehogs know how to use their spikes.

(loud traffic roaring)

The hedgehog's greatest modern
threat is the human being.

The relentless extension
of our traffic systems

cuts through the animals' habitats.

Hedgehogs tend to move slowly,

and fail to recognize approaching danger.

(tires whooshing)

Millions of hedgehogs die

on Central Europe's roads each year.

(slow sad music)

And it is particularly tragic

if a hedgehog mother is killed.

If her hoglets are older than five weeks,

they stand a chance of survival.

Small orphaned hoglets are
often rescued by animal lovers.

(quick music)

Proper nutrition is crucial
to successfully raising them.

Hoglets must never be fed cows' milk

or formula for human infants.

These cause diarrhea and
intestinal inflammations

that are lethal to hoglets.

Diluted cats' milk,
available in pet shops,

has proven to be best.

The raising of hedgehogs
is very labor intensive

because the smallest ones
must be fed every three hours.

Central Europe's landscapes
are particularly diverse,

reaching from the lowlands
to the mountain regions.

As the one sturdy
inhabitant you still find

up as far as about 2,500
meters above sea-level

is the hedgehog.

They even traverse inhospitable
habitats like moors.

Moors are landscapes that
are almost always wet

and consequently rather uninviting.

However, they are also among the most

untouched stretches of nature.

Peat moss and dwarf shrubs
are perfectly adjusted

to these extreme conditions.

(rhythmic music)

If a hedgehog ends up in the moor,

he simply carries on with
his favorite occupation,

searching for something to eat.

All sorts of bugs and small animals

have adapted themselves
to the moist conditions,

but they are not alone.

The common European adder

is another typical moor inhabitant.

(eerie suspenseful music)

It is one of our few
native poisonous snakes,

and avoids human beings.

In the past, people
believed that hedgehogs

were immune against the adder's bite.

This superstition gave
the spiky adventurer

the nickname, lord of snakes.

Indeed, hedgehogs are not
uninterested in snakes,

and often regard them as animals of prey.

But an adder is well defended.

Rather than fleeing when
under threat, it will attack.

(snake hissing)

like a knight in armor, the
hedgehog protects himself

with his prickly shield.

If the adder manages to bite

his sensitive face or
stomach region though,

the hedgehog can be injured.

But hedgehogs are masters of self-defense.

He rapidly raises his spines

and the adder's poisoned
fangs are rendered useless by

the sudden appearance of
8,000 individual spears.

The only chance she has to

avoid turning into a
hedgehog meal after all,

is to take flight.

Moors heat up extremely in the summer.

Pine trees that could offer
cooling shade do not grow here.

They cannot thrive in this earth,

as it is full of water like a sponge,

not ground water, but rain water.

(fast suspenseful music)

(thunder rumbling)

summer thunderstorms play a vital part

in nature's moisture regulation,

even if they are causing floods.

Hedgehogs are tough, but
they can't stand heavy rain.

(water rushing)

Ceaseless rain causes the
mountain torrents to swell,

and the forests to be deluged in water.

Now the ground is particularly tricky

and it's all too easy to slip.

If a hedgehog falls into the water,

he's not hopelessly lost.

Hedgehogs are quite acceptable swimmers,

but they lack endurance.

If he doesn't want to drown,

he has to reach the shore within minutes.

(water trickling)

(birds singing)

for ages, humans and animals have

lived together closely on farms.

Farm animals quite often give a reason

for their wild cousins
to feel attracted too.

(goats bleating)

as far as the hedgehog is concerned,

the pasture's short grass
is easy to wander through

and there are always plenty of insects

around domestic animals.

But the goats' intensive smell

is new to the spiky adventurer.

Immediately he turns his odd behavior

of spitting saliva on his shoulders

and covering himself with mucous.

The quantity and duration
the whole process

differ with each case.

Besides large livestock farming,

traditional farm operations include

keeping a colorful variety of

small domestic animals and poultry.

(chickens clucking)

the production of chicken eggs

is of great importance to
the farmer's own needs,

as well as for the market.

Organic farm eggs are in high demand

in these days of large-scale
livestock farming.

Thus more and more
farmers are returning to

floor and free-range
management of their poultry.

(chickens cackling)

just a few decades ago,

hedgehogs were not very
welcome guests at the farm.

Old wives tales of hedgehogs

making their way into the stables

and robbing the poultry
stubbornly persisted.

But the hedgehog stealing eggs

from the chicken coop is pure legend.

He only pounces on eggs
that are already broken.

He couldn't handle undamaged ones

with his insectivore's teeth.

(crickets chirping)

Meanwhile, a general re-thinking
has long since taken place.

Many people protect the hedgehogs,

and even place food for them

in front of their door at night.

Special mixtures may be purchased,

made of dried insects,
fruits, bran and much more.

Dog and cat food are on
the hedgehogs' menu too.

And even if they are uninvited,

they will help themselves,
not always to the joy of all.

(dog barking)

(inspiring music)

but hedgehogs won't limit themselves

to gobbling up pet food.

Quite frequently they also

take advantage of the
existing infrastructure.

Tortoises are frequently
given a roof over their heads.

Its safe location and the warm straw

inside the tortoise's house
also attract the hedgehogs.

(soft flute music)

For a female hedgehog, the tortoise house

is a first-class shelter
to deliver her offspring.

Almost every hedgehog living outside

is host to numerous parasites.

A strong and healthy animal copes well

with a moderate number of ticks and fleas,

but sick and weak animals may even

die from the tiny pests' superior numbers.

Fleas can easily be combated
with a suitable spray.

Flea powder should not be used however,

since hedgehogs may breathe it in.

Ticks must be removed individually.

Special tweezers for this purpose

are available in specialty stores.

Relieved from his tiresome parasites,

the hedgehog can be freed again.

And thus the odd couple

shares a home for the next few weeks.

(bucolic music)

Summer gradually comes to an end,

and nature shifts back into lower gear.

The days grow shorter again,

and the air cools down noticeably.

In the orchards, the tall
trees are laden with fruit.

The diversity is incredible.

More than 400 apple and
nearly 100 pear types

are known in Austria alone.

(branches crackling)

the windfall's prominent
aroma attracts the hedgehogs.

Sweet juices and fruits are

a welcome enrichment of their menu.

In old stories, the hedgehog

is depicted as a fruit collector.

Legend has it that in autumn,

he spears pears and
apples with his thorns,

and carries them to his winter quarters.

And really, many a hedgehog is at risk

of suddenly discovering fruit in his toe.

Falling fruits may not uncommonly hit him

and get stuck in his spiky coat.

The sweet smell also
attracts innumerable insects.

(wasp buzzing)

Wasps are feeding on the fermenting fruit,

as is the peacock butterfly.

In orchards and fruit meadows,

up to 5,000 different animal
species have been identified.

An incredibly important habitat
formed by the human hand.

This enormous animal variety is due to

extensive grassland management

that largely spurns the use of chemicals.

And though the hedgehog
is really an insectivore,

he may quite safely enjoy the
sweet fruits of autumn here.

After the first fog, the
leaves will be falling soon.

The year of the hedgehog
comes to its close again.

The plummeting temperatures
leave no doubt about it.

It is high time to look
for a safe place to stay

during the cold winter months.

(inspiring music)

Sooner or later the year
completes its course

with the cold and snow of winter.

And although one might
think that all of life

is dying in the cold, nature
always finds a way to survive.

The hedgehog, just has he
has for time immemorial,

will hibernate long and deep,

until, months later, the warmth of spring

will call him to new life.

(grand inspirational music)