70 Million Years of Pangolin Species Were Once Widely Distributed, But Now Face Extinction

In animal species, A hedgehog is an ancient and peculiar mammal, It is a rare species evolved from a carnivorous animal 70 million years ago, and it is the only mammal in the world with scales all over its body. Nowadays, hedgehogs have become endangered species and are decreasing, but the hedgehogs that have lived for 70 million years were once widely distributed, but in recent decades, they have faced excessive capture by humans and quickly entered the state of endangerment.

Hedgehogs belong to eight genera, distributed in Asia and Africa

Hedgehogs are covered with scale-like scales, and when encountering enemies, they can curl up into a ball, and it is difficult for ordinary people to distinguish the species of hedgehogs. In fact, the hedgehog family consists of eight genera, hedgehog genus 4 genera, distributed in Asia; long-tailed hedgehog genus 2 genera, distributed in Africa; ground hedgehog genus 2 genera, also distributed in Africa. Detailed species include:Philippine hedgehog, giant hedgehog, South African hedgehog, tree hedgehog, long-tailed hedgehog, Malay hedgehog, Indian hedgehog and Chinese giant hedgehog

Hedgehogs are not very aggressive, but with a tough back armor, it is difficult for fierce beasts to hunt hedgehogs, and there are many populations in the distribution area, and there was once a hedgehog resource powerhouse in China,

The crisis of hedgehogs: edible, medicinal and so on

Due to the belief that hedgehogs have a strong digging ability, people believe that eating hedgehogs has various effects, and they believe that it can cure diseases and supplement the body. The scales and meat can be used for medicine, with hemostatic, cooling and detoxifying effects, and can treat chronic diseases, clear sores and boils, and treat cancer tumors, etc.

The reduction of hedgehog resources is accelerating

According to statistics: in the 1960s and 1970s, the whole country in China acquired 150,000 hedgehogs every year, which was once a hedgehog resource powerhouse, but facing the market demand of 200,000 heads of hedgehogs, the hedgehog resources in China are rapidly decreasing. Now the number of hedgehogs in China has decreased by more than 97% compared with 1960, and it is showing a trend of functional extinction in China,

When the Chinese giant hedgehog is on the verge of extinction, it also threatens the global hedgehog species,The largest illegal trading wild animal in the world is the hedgehogOn average, one hedgehog is captured in the wild every five minutes, most of which are eventually exported to destinations such as China, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Hedgehogs don't have so many magical effects

Hedgehogs are poached because people believe that eating hedgehogs has magical effects. In fact, scientists have already studied that:The scales of hedgehogs are just keratinized skin appendagesIts main component is β-keratin, which is not fundamentally different from the composition of hair and nails.

The meat of hedgehogs is not as nutritious as imagined, it is similar to chicken meat, and it has exaggerated the magical effects.

The harm of eating hedgehogsHedgehogs are wild animals, which are difficult to tame, and most non-natural hedgehogs will choose to starve to death. Although its main food is ants, in the wild, in order to survive, its life is difficult to study,There are a lot of viruses and parasites on its body

So eating hedgehogs carries the risk of damaging health.There is no buying, no killing, four hedgehog species are almost extinct, two are in critically endangered state, and two are in endangered state. Now eight species of hedgehogs have become protected animals, prohibiting hunting and eating. Protecting wild animals is also protecting ourselves.

Protect hedgehogs, say no to eating wild animals, they don’t belong on our table