Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are a well-known and charismatic member of our British wildlife that are now unfortunately classed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ here in the UK, as result of factors such as loss of habitat, increasing traffic and pesticide use. This makes it even more special to see them out and about.
When you see them bumbling about, do you ever wonder what they get up to through the seasons? Well, you can find out here!
We’ll start with spring first, and work out way through the year. In spring, they wake up from hibernation and head out to refuel on food such as worms, beetles, amphibians, snails and even rodents, bird eggs, nestlings and carrion. They then start breeding from April onwards, and may have multiple litters per year. Litters usually contain up to five hoglets (that’s a lot of babies to provide for)! Their hoglets are blind and deaf at first, and will start to leave the nest around a few weeks old.
Into summer, hedgehogs may continue to breed (often with multiple partners), but also spend much of their time sheltering in nests of leaves, moss and grass. If you go out in the evening, you may hear snuffling and grunting, which is likely to be a hedgehog out looking for food to snaffle up!
After this, as the weather starts to get colder, hedgehogs will start thinking about going into hibernation for autumn and winter, and will find a sheltered, dry, warm spot, like in a hedgerow, to hunker down until spring arrives again!
There a few different things that you can do to help hedgehogs throughout the year: