Hedgehogs

My "Nature Notes" piece for the month ahead . . .

Early one morning during the summer, I was delighted to see two hedgehogs snuffling about in my back garden. I went out and photographed them. They did not seem too concerned about my presence, and later shuffled off into the wood behind our garden. A few days later, neighbours also reported what I assume were the same two hedgehogs, and one evening I encountered a hedgehog snuffling along a footpath near our home as I wandered along in the other direction.

I mention this because the general feeling is that we are seeing fewer hedgehogs than we used to. There may be a number of reasons for this. Many are still killed on our roads, of course, and hedgehogs may be falling prey to the growing badger population. Impenetrable barriers (at hedgehog-height, anyway) between gardens don’t help, though, and where gardens have been paved or turned into parking areas, to a hedgehog that’s a desert. Excessively tidy gardens are unlikely to produce the insect and invertebrate numbers a hedgehog needs for food, and hedgehogs are very vulnerable to the widespread use of slug pellets.

Our hedgehog is one of fourteen species native to Europe, Asia and Africa, with the cute looking African pygmy hedgehog gaining popularity as a pet species. Hedgehogs are insectivorous, with insects, worms and some slugs and snails making up about three-quarters of their diet. They have a fair bit of hunting to do to get enough food, so they need to travel from garden to garden, and “your” hedgehog is likely to be one of several different hedgehogs visiting your garden. Hedgehogs are mostly nocturnal, so you will only see them in daylight just after dawn or just before sunset. If you see a hedgehog at midday, something somewhere is wrong.

At this time of the year hedgehogs are starting their winter hibernation, and I’ll repeat the annual warning to check bonfires before lighting them - to a hedgehog this looks like a cosy place to bed down for the winter. Hedgehogs need to have put on a bit of weight before their winter sleep; late season youngsters or adults that haven’t done all that well may need some help putting on the ounces, and garden feeding can help.

People traditionally used to put our bread and milk - but we now know that milk is in fact very harmful to hedgehogs. They like it, but can’t digest it properly and it will cause serious stomach upsets. Cooked meat leftovers, pieces of mild cheese, catfood if meat based (not fish) are all good - hedgehogs have only very small teeth, so it’s important that food put out is minced or chopped very small. Proprietary hedgehog feeds are available at garden centres, pet shops and on line. Raisins, sultanas and peanuts are also acceptable (not, of course, salted peanuts).

Finally, hedgehogs are really woodland animals. Gardens with shrubs and trees and  some untidy bits and shelter will attract and suit them. Piles of branches and leaves will be both a good nest site, and a possible supply of insect food.