The Mammal Society

For Evidence Based Conservation

Hedgehog – Erinaceus europaeus

 
 
Habitat: Urban & gardens, grassland, mixed woodland, heathland, arable land
 
Description: Unmistakable coat of several thousand spines along the back, speckled brown and cream. Brown pointed furry face, small black eyes and nose.

Size: 150-300mm head and body length, dependant on age; tail: 10-20mm.

Weight: Up to 2kg, heaviest in autumn.
 
Lifespan: Up to 10 years (but this is exceptional). Over half die within their first year, and average life expectancy is 2-3 years in the wild.
 
Origin & Distribution: Native. The hedgehog is common in parks, gardens and farmland throughout mainland Britain and Ireland. It has also been introduced to many islands including Orkney, Shetland, Isle of Man and some of the Channel Islands. Hedgehogs prefer woodland edges, hedgerows and suburban habitats where there is plenty of food for them. Intensively farmed arable land is probably a poor habitat, as are moor lands and dense conifer forests.
 
Diet: Hedgehogs eat beetles, worms, caterpillars, slugs and almost anything they can catch, but little plant material. They can also take eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds though rarely in large numbers and much less so than foxes and crows.
 
General Ecology: Hibernation usually begins about November and ends around Easter, but is much affected by the weather. Hedgehogs normally wake up several times over winter and often build a new nest. In the spring they commonly spend a few days active then enter hibernation again during a cold snap. The winter nest (“hibernaculum”) is made of leaves, tucked under a bush or log pile or garden shed, anywhere that offers support and protection. Hedgehogs travel about 1-2km each night, males more so than females. They return to the same daytime nest for a few days then use another,  perhaps returning to an old nest at a later date.
 
Breeding: Females have litters of 4-5 young (sometimes more), between April and September. Males do not assist in rearing them. Young born late often die, being too small to survive hibernation. They need to weigh at least 450g (1lb.) or they are not fat enough to last the winter.
 
Conservation Status: Hedgehogs are partially protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act and may not be trapped without a licence from Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales or Scottish Natural Heritage. Hedgehogs appear to be in decline and the total population is unknown. The biggest threat to hedgehogs is thought to be habitat loss, with the change from pastoral farming to arable crops, and increasing field size with the removal of hedgerows over the last 30 years. The use of chemicals in gardens and for intensive farming kills the creatures hedgehogs need for food and may also poison them directly. Many are also killed on the roads.

Hedgehogs survive well in gardens, particularly assisted by food put out for them, as modern tidy gardens may not otherwise provide sufficient food. Gardens can also be hazardous. Strimmers cut back rank vegetation in the very places hedgehogs lie up during the day, causing serious wounds to the sleeping animals.

Hedgehogs hibernate under garden bonfire heaps. These should always be turned over before being burnt. Hedgehogs swim well but easily drown in smooth-sided garden ponds, being unable to escape from them. Ponds (and swimming pools) should have a piece of chicken wire dangling into the water to help the animals climb out. Garden netting is also dangerous unless staked down tightly to avoid hedgehogs becoming entangled.

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