These iconic prickly mammals are well-loved in the UK. Hedgehogs are found sheltering in hedgerows and woodland edges along our canals, spending much of their lives asleep.
Baby hedgehogs are called 'hoglets' or 'hedgehoglets' – names that were coined as late as the 1990s!
Hedgehog facts
Scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus
Family: Erinaceidae
Diet: Mostly invertebrates, but also small vertebrates, fruit, and fungi
Whether or not you’ve seen a wild hedgehog, everyone can identify their distinctive spines. These spines, or quills, are made of keratin (the same materials as our hair and nails) and serve as a defence mechanism against predators. When threatened, hedgehogs roll into a tight ball, spiny backs bared.
Hedgehogs and our canals
The vegetation along our canal banks provides ideal foraging grounds for these prickly critters, while hedgerows and embankments offer shelter and nesting sites. Canals also create natural corridors that allow hedgehogs to travel – they’re known to roam up to two kilometres in a night.
Hedgehogs are easily identifiable by their rounded bodies covered in sharp, brown and white spines. Their underside has coarse, grey-brown fur. They have small, round ears, a pointed snout, and short legs. When walking, they often have a waddling gait.
These small creatures are about 20-25cm long and weigh up to 1.2kg.
A hedgehog with a round, protruding noise, small eyes, and brown spines. Photo by Jack Perks.
What do hedgehogs eat?
Hedgehogs are opportunistic omnivores. Their diet includes insects (such as beetles and caterpillars), earthworms, slugs, snails, and other invertebrates. They also have a taste for small vertebrates, bird eggs, fruit, and fungi.
In urban areas particularly, hedgehogs will dine on food waste or remains, such as cat food or leftovers.
Despite popular belief, hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, so you shouldn’t leave any milk out for them. If you do wish to provide wandering hedgehogs with refreshments, leaving a shallow dish of water in your garden can be lifesaving in hot summers.
How do hedgehogs breed?
Hedgehogs are solitary creatures, only coming together to mate. The breeding season begins in April and lasts until September. During this time, female hedgehogs give birth to litters of 3-7 hoglets after a gestation period of about 35 days.
Young are born blind and without spines, which develop within a few hours. They are weaned and independent by six to eight weeks old, reaching maturity after a year.
Where do hedgehogs live?
Hedgehogs make their homes in hedgerows, under bushes, or piles of leaves and logs. They like dry areas with abundant cover and a plentiful supply of food. In your garden, they might hide under sheds or compost heaps.
Hedgehogs can begin hibernation at any point from October to April. However, warmer temperatures in winter might mean hedgehogs are awake in December. They hibernate in sheltered nests, made from leaves, grass, and other plant material.
Don’t disturb hibernating hedgehogs. Waking them uses the precious fat store they need to survive the winter.
Even when hedgehogs emerge from hibernation in the spring, they spend their days sleeping, becoming active at night.
Tips to spot hedgehogs
The best chance of seeing a hedgehog is to put out some water and food (wet cat food is ideal) and keep watch on your garden at night. While they can travel quite a distance, they often return to the same garden.
Hedgehogs can be surprisingly noisy as they huff and puff.
If you spot a hedgehog, do not disturb it. Hedgehogs are classed as vulnerable creatures in the UK and they’re legally protected.
What's the best time of day to spot hedgehogs?
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, so the best time to spot them is during the evening or night. They are most active just after sunset and before sunrise.
What's the best time of year to spot hedgehogs?
The best time of year to spot hedgehogs is between April and October when they are most active. During winter, they hibernate and are rarely seen.
Threats to hedgehogs
Hedgehog populations are declining due to habitat loss, fragmentation, and pesticide use which damages food supply.
Hedgerows and woodland loss deprive them of precious shelter from predators and limit safe travelling routes. Road traffic also poses a significant threat. It’s important that we maintain our canal network to give hedgehogs a safe space to roam and shelter within.
