A group of scientists from the University of Oxford found Europe’s oldest hedgehog, who lived at 16 years, in Denmark. Study published magazine animals
The previous record holder among hedgehogs lived for nine years. The authors analyzed the remains of dead hedgehogs to study how the population of these mammals in Europe has changed. In total, the group examined the bones of 697 dead animal carcasses, including three hedgehogs that lived more than nine years.
During hibernation in hedgehogs, the growth of bones slows down, so rings are formed on them, as in trees, with which you can calculate the age of the animal. That is, at the time of death, the two mammals were 16, 13 and 11 years old.
About 30% did not live to a year, and the remaining individuals lived for about two years. The researchers note that more than half of the deaths occur after traffic accidents, and about a quarter of the animals die in rehabilitation centers during treatment, for example after being attacked by dogs.
The authors emphasized that the number of European hedgehogs has decreased significantly in recent years. Analysis of behavior and causes of death will help scientists develop measures to prevent the extinction of these animals.