Species in the Spotlight: Hedgehog

Wed 17th Sep, 2014

The hedgehog  is one of the region’s most recognisable mammals , not least because of its spiky fur. Like its distant relatives moles and shrews, it feeds heavily on macro-invertebrates. A look inside a hedgehog dropping will reveal the remains of many beetles, but worms and caterpillars are also readily taken as well as fallen fruit and carrion: anything, in fact, edible and found low to the ground. Birds’ eggs and chicks may be consumed, making the hedgehog especially damaging when released onto offshore islands which are historically devoid of mammalian predators.

Hedgehogs are one of the few species of mammal which truly hibernate. Hibernation can begin as early as September in cold years and lasts up to around April, with males often emerging slightly earlier. It is far from unusual for hedgehogs to awaken themselves during winter and move to another hibernacula; two to three are regularly used. This change of hibernacula is usually linked to parasites as well as changes in temperature and position of the sun through the winter. 

Hedgehogs, unlike many other mammals, are not territorial. As solitary animals, they congregate in numbers only near rich feeding sites. Such gatherings are therefore characterised by much bickering and aggression. Male hedgehogs regularly move over 3 km in a given evening, especially whilst looking for females in the breeding season. On average, females only rarely move further than 1 km per night. Subsequently females tend to be more loyal to one nest, especially when breeding, with the more transient male often using several different nests within a larger home range.    

Dan Lombard