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- He is unmistakable and familiar

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to every child, the hedgehog.

Even so, he still holds many secrets.

These primeval looking insectivores

have populated the earth

for millions of years, almost unchanged.

Time and time again they conquered new habitats,

and even high losses inflicted by their enemies

could never seriously endanger their numbers.

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.

But what does it actually look like,

they year of the hedgehog?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In our part of the world, the sun is

regaining its strength by March.

Gradually the icy armor melts and winter nears its end.

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.

This wake-up phase can last for several hours.

The spring awakening can't be delayed any longer.

Life returns everywhere.

Cold and frost are only a memory.

Meanwhile the hedgehog has

completely shaken off his hibernation.

Usually he leaves his winter quarters by April.

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.

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..

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.

ground beetles discharge a smelly secretion upon touch,

but they are still the hedgehog's favorite prey.

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.

Frogspawn is probably not the hedgehog's preferred flavor,

but when they are hungry enough,

amphibian caviar may be on their menu too.

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.

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.

The little ringed plover builds its nest

directly on the ground.

And despite its eggs being perfectly camouflaged,

the bird has to be watchful.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The forest clearing is a giant

adventure playground for this hedgehog kindergarten.

Each square centimeter offers

a flood of impressions for their sensitive noses.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Millions of hedgehogs die

on Central Europe's roads each year.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.