We all love hedgehogs, and there’s something rather special about seeing one decide to pay us a visit. But how well do we really know our beloved hogs?
I thought I’d share a few facts about them that might make you appreciate these amazing little animals even more.
Hedgehogs belong to a very old family, with fossils suggesting that their ancestors have been around for around 15 million years. But our modern Hog has no close relatives to other animals. It belongs to a family all on its own and has developed along a separate evolutionary line for millions of years
There are a few species of hogs and our native hedgehog is the European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus.
A hedgehog’s spines are actually modified hairs, made mostly from keratin the same protein found in our hair and fingernails.
An adult hedgehog can have around 5,000–7,000 spines!
And what about that famous ball they curl themselves into?
Hedgehogs have a special ring of muscles around their body which contracts when they feel threatened. These muscles work a little like the drawstring on a bag, pulling the skin and spines tightly around the animal and protecting the vulnerable face and tummy.
It’s a very clever defence mechanism and one that has helped hedgehogs survive alongside predators for millions of years.
One thing that often surprises people is just how quickly a hedgehog can move when it wants to.
They can actually run at around the speed that we walk, which is pretty impressive for such a little animal!
During a night’s foraging, a hedgehog can travel up to a couple of miles in search of food.
I’ve also noticed that they can be creatures of habit. If they know there is a reliable food source, they may return to it in the early morning before heading off to bed depending on what they have managed to forage.
Hedgehogs don’t have particularly good eyesight, but they make up for it with an excellent sense of smell and good hearing.
Their noses are incredibly important when they are out searching for food.
So, if you happen to be sitting quietly in the garden and remain very still, a hedgehog may carry on happily foraging around you.
Hedgehogs are generally solitary animals and will usually go out of their way to avoid one another.
When hedgehogs meet, there can be a surprising amount of huffing, hissing and head-butting before they decide who is going where. They certainly aren’t known for being quiet neighbours.
That changes when it comes to mating, although even then, things aren’t always particularly peaceful!
Once the mating is over, the male has no role in raising the young. Looking after the hoglets is entirely down to the female.
Baby hedgehogs are called hoglets, and litters are usually born from around May onwards, although births can sometimes occur into late summer. These are known as Autumn juveniles.
A litter will typically contain around 2–6 hoglets.
They remain in the nest with their mother while they grow and develop, eventually heading out to explore the world for themselves at around six weeks old.
At this stage, a hoglet may weigh around 250g, although individual weights can vary.
In the wild, hedgehogs commonly live for around 2–5 years, although some lucky individuals can live considerably longer.
Under the right circumstances, hedgehogs have been known to reach 10 years or more, although this is unusual.
This is one of the questions we get asked most often, and it can sometimes be confusing to know when a hedgehog needs help.
A good rule of thumb is:
If you see a small hedgehog out during the daytime at any time of year, it needs picking up and checking.
If you see a hedgehog of any size out during the day and it isn’t really moving, appears weak, is struggling, lying exposed or otherwise doesn’t seem right, it also needs help.
If you see a large, healthy-looking hedgehog out during the daytime, particularly during the summer, and it is moving with purpose and appears active, it may well be a mother searching for extra food.
In this situation, watch from a distance rather than immediately picking her up. She may simply be trying to find enough food to support herself and her hoglets.
If you’re unsure, contact a local hedgehog rescue or wildlife professional for advice.
If you do find a hedgehog that needs help, try not to panic. Getting it somewhere safe is the first priority.
Sometimes they simply need a little help from us to get back on their feet.
These little animals have been around for millions of years, and yet they are facing plenty of challenges today. The more we understand about them, the better chance we have of protecting them.
So next time you see a little hog snuffling around your garden in the middle of the night, take a moment to appreciate just how remarkable that tiny visitor really is.
Hi, I'm Angela, owner of The Wild Bird Store. Alongside running the shop, I'm hands-on with nest box monitoring (Pied Flycatchers especially), dormouse and hedgehog conservation and I also volunteer with the bct as a bat ambulance.
Feeding garden birds well, all year round, is one of the simplest things we can all do to help, and it's what I love most about this job.
Hi, I'm Angela, owner of The Wild Bird Store. Alongside running the shop, I'm hands-on with nest box monitoring (Pied Flycatchers especially), dormouse and hedgehog conservation and I also volunteer with the bct as a bat ambulance.
Feeding garden birds well, all year round, is one of the simplest things we can all do to help, and it's what I love most about this job.
