Habits
Hedgehogs prefer shorter grassed or scrubby areas to wetlands and they will use hedgerows and field edges to move between different foraging areas. They construct nests from grass and leaves under hedgerows, wood piles, tree roots, garden sheds and even cat-houses! An opportunist Kentish hedgehog was found trying to forage for eggs under sitting hens on a poultry farm.
Male hedgehogs will cover a foraging area of about 32 ha, and can travel up to three kilometres in a night; females cover half that area. Their foraging suggests a non-territorial behaviour.
Habitats rich in fallen leaves with log piles, garden sheds, or ground cover such as brambles and compost heaps are crucial for providing suitable nesting sites for winter survival. Hedgehogs build summer nests for daytime refuge, more substantial breeding nests and usually more than one winter nest used for hibernation. Most hedgehogs will move nests at least once during the winter.
Studies have shown that hedgehogs recognise the smell of badgers and avoid areas with badger odour. They are not often active during daylight hours so if an adult is seen then it is, sadly, likely to be suffering from lung worm.
Reproduction and life cycle
Hedgehogs breed between April and September with the female being pregnant for four weeks before producing a litter of four to five white babies. If the female is disturbed she will abandon the nest and hoglets. After four to five weeks the hoglets move out of the nest and are independent. The hoglets need to weigh at least 500 g if they are to survive partial hibernation.
Distribution, status and conservation
Results of recent surveys in Kent suggest that people feed hedgehogs throughout the winter. Rural studies indicate movement out of the wilder countryside to more urban habitats, and Kentish hedgehogs do seem to be foraging more often after midnight when both human and vehicle activity is far less.
Once common, hedgehog number may be down by more than half in rural areas since 2000 (~30% in 10 years according to IUCN). This is probably due to a number of factors; rural habitat fragmentation, the use of pesticides and their impact on prey species and also the loss of hedgerows. Urban gardens now tend to be smaller, and previously available habitats are dissected with building developments causing populations to become isolated.
The hedgehog is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and are classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
