Everything you need to know about HEDGEHOGS!

By Jess Madden

Hedgehogs are one of the most best-loved mammals in Britain, even though they spend most of their life sleeping they remain an iconic member of British wildlife.

Appearance & Characteristics:

Hedgehogs are one of the most well-known British mammals and have very clear defining characteristics. They have a rounded body covered in approximately 6000 short dark spines but their face and undersides are covered in coarse hair, they have long snouts and a short tail. 

Their eye sight is quite poor but make up for this with great hearing and an amazing sense of smell. Hedgehogs are also surprisingly noisy and have distinctive huffing and puffing sounds that you can hear at night whilst they are on the move.  Hedgehogs are good runners and climbers and can even swim! If attacked the hedgehog rolls into a tight ball exposing only their spines. 

Diet:

Invertebrates are one of the hedgehog’s favourites with beetles, slugs, and earthworms at the top of this list. They have also been known to eat carrion and eggs of ground-nesting birds as well as food left out by humans…cat food and leftovers are an urban hedgehogs go to.

Habitat:

Hedgehogs are found across the UK and can live in many different habitats e.g. woodland, farmland, parks, and gardens. As their name would suggest hedges are one of the perfect environments for hedgehogs to thrive as they provide well drained soil as well as an area for nesting. 

Hedgehog Spotting:

Your best chance of seeing a hedgehog is by putting out some suitable food in your garden and hope you get a visit during the night. During the day they take shelter in nests of leaves, moss and grass and come out a night to forage. They are mostly active from April until October as they hibernate during the cold winter and autumn months.

Hedgehogs at Risk:

Hedgehogs remain a British favourite but their existence is currently threatened by humans. 

A major factor in the decline of hedgehogs has been the loss and damage to many of their suitable habitats such as woodlands and hedgerows. This reduction in habitats results in the deprivation of both food and shelter as well as protection from predators (badgers). 

Another human impact on hedgehogs is the use of pesticides on farmland and gardens which has reduced the hedgehog’s food supply. 

In urban areas, the use of impermeable fencing, loss of natural greenery with a shift to artificial grass, and the increasing development is further reducing the green spaces. As well as the increasing number of roads which are responsible for thousands of hedgehog deaths each year. 

Hedgehogs in the media:

Hedgehogs are nocturnal meaning they sleep during the day and forage for food at night. If you find a hedgehog during the day then it is quite likely like there is something wrong and you should seek advice from a wildlife hospital.

Quite often the media is saturated with images of hedgehogs during the day, this is highly unrealistic and can be damaging to the conservation of these animals. It can normalise the idea of hedgehogs being out and about during the day which can be harmful and result in less people reporting or asking for help if they encounter a hedgehog out in the day. This means that many hedgehogs that are quite likely sick not getting the support they need.

SC Top Trump Rating:

Hedgehogs have a lifespan of 2-5 years and spend the majority of their life alone as they are a solitary animal. 

Their average weight is between 0.4 and 1.2 kg. This varies a lot depending on the time of year, during their active season they weight approximately 0.6 kg and then after emerging from hibernation they reach somewhere closer to 1 kg. 

Hedgehogs are one of Britain’s cutest animals and thus scores a 10, they don’t make very much noise but at night they make cute snuffle sounds that can be heard in your gardens.

These prickly critters rely on hedgerows and woodland edges for food and shelter. However, these habitats are being damaged and destroyed mostly due to land use change and increased use of pesticides.

The Hedgehogs total rating is therefore 76 as a combination of their unique appearance and defence strategy, their iconic and cute nature, and their amazing habitat that needs protecting.

What we can do: