Insectivora

Insectivora, Insectivora, an order of mammals (Mammalia); small or small-sized plantigrade animals; they have numerous small and sharp teeth that are little differentiated, due to which canines often cannot be distinguished from incisors. The molars have sharp cusps. They feed on insects and other animals, including mammals. The last discoid.-Family Erinaceidae, hedgehogs; the skin is covered on the back and partly on the sides with sharp spines. The hedgehog raises them upright by tensing the wide subcutaneous muscle. Distinguish Erinaceus europaeus (the common one), Hemiechinus album (found in Central Asia) and others. The hedgehog is naturally immune or little sensitive to various poisons. Bites of the adder do not affect it, but large doses of poison kill it too. It itself devours snakes (including venomous ones) and various harmful insects. It is useful in agricultural relations. It serves as a host for various external parasites, including ticks.-Family Soricidae, shrews. Sorex vulgaris-common shrew; on the sides of the body it has musk glands. Crocidura-white-toothed shrew; in Dakar (Africa) it can be infected with Spirochae-ta crocidurae = Spiroehaeta Duttoni-the causative agent of tick-borne typhus in Africa; Crocidura russulus gets into houses to live.-Family Talpidae, moles. Talpa eu-lopaea-mole, a blind underground animal, harmful in agricultural relations. Myogale moschata-Russian muskrat. At the root of the tail lie scent glands that spread a strong musky smell.