Hedgehog help

[pattie may]

I have at least two hedgehogs visiting my garden at the moment as I have seen two in the garden at the same time. I have to put out at least three dishes of food a night and it is all gone by morning. I think that the hedgehog house is also used from time to time.

Two questions

I seem to be finding a lot of hedgehog poo all over the garden (one or two new deposits every night). This is the first year that I have seen so much. There is loads just by the side of the hedgehog house and in the corner of the garden where the hedgehogs enter the garden. Is there any reason why a) I'm finding so much or is a hedgehog marking its territory or b) am I getting more than two or three visitors a night?

I wasn't at home last Sunday but my husband said he was checking by the hedgehog house at lunchtime when he saw a hedgehog walk up by the fence and go into the hedgehog house. The hedgehog seemed to walk along fine. I have a stick placed across the entrance to the hedgehog house and it has been knocked down a couple of days this week during the day. Should I be worried?

[mbaldw]

Hi pattie,

I'm no expert (I'm sure someone else will be able to enlighten you), but here are my 'two cents':

a) I'm finding so much or is a hedgehog marking its territory

To the best of my knowledge, there's no evidence that hedgehogs are territorial. A hedgehog may range over roughly the same area for a prolonged period (this is its home range), but it doesn't actively defend the resources therein or act to exclude other hogs. Hedgehogs can often be hostile to each other, but this is more of an 'interpersonal distance' issue (i.e. where you get two hogs at the same feeding bowl, or multiple hoglets in the same cage) and avoidance is, it seems, generally passive. With one possible exception that I know of, hedgehog scat is left where it falls. Thus, the increased scat you're finding isn't related to any territorial marking.

b) am I getting more than two or three visitors a night?

To my mind there are two likely explanations. The first is that it's been a good winter for your local hogs; fewer died in hibernation and the population is now larger than it was this time last spring. Second, is that you're seeing more visitors because of the weather. The prolonged dry spell across much of the country has made it very difficult for many species to find prey - hedgehogs, badger cubs and (to a lesser extent) fox cubs all feed on invertebrates, especially earthworms, at this time of the year and these are almost impossible to come by when the ground is this dry. Gardens where food and (particularly) water is freely put out by caring folk such as yourself are going to be a big draw for lots of wildlife. So, I wonder whether you're seeing more hedgehogs because they're being attracted to your garden in search of food and water that's scarce elsewhere?

The hedgehog seemed to walk along fine. I have a stick placed across the entrance to the hedgehog house and it has been knocked down a couple of days this week during the day. Should I be worried?

I'll let someone more qualified answer that question! Seeing hedgehogs out during the daytime is generally a bad sign, but I have seen a couple that weren't obviously sick (I'd always assumed that they'd been disturbed from their nest and were looking for somewhere else to rest up).

Either way, you're clearly doing something right if you're attracting so many hedgehogs. Keep up the good work.

Cheers,
Marc.

[allyryan]

I am no expert either, but I have recently had to look after two ,after my dog found them in the garden.. It is surprising how much poo a hedgehog will do, especially when dining on dog food. A big hedgehog can leave a lot behind.

[dampflippers]

It may be that the word is getting round that you have a hedgehog restaurant, so you are getting more visitors.
They don't mark their territory.

Being out in daylight is usually a sign of being in trouble, but at this time of year it could be a female ready to give birth, or dashing out for a quick feed.

I suggest visting the Hedgehog Forum where lots of carers will answer your questions.
Hedgehogs

[CharlieCreek]

Hi Pat,

sorry haven't been on the forum lately, but picked up the email to the rescue address and have replied.

All the best

Charlie

[nightshade]

Chris Packhams program suggests that Males do a lot of wandering looking for sex but Females stick with a more limited territory. This could explain some of the extra droppings perhaps. BBC iPlayer - The Animal's Guide to Britain: Woodland Animals

[pattie may]

Thanks nightshade for link.

I have seen two hedgehogs at the same time tonight and two different ones eating the food I leave out.

Regarding pregnant females do they have any different habits. If she has babies in my hedgehog house will I hear any sounds when there are babies inside?

[nightshade]

I must admit I am not too up on pregnant Hedgehogs, they are usually a couple of seasons old and I assume will start nest building, althought males like a comfy bed as well. The babies are very tiny initially, you may hear them suckling, but I would watch from a good distance and not interfer until she finally brings them out to feed.

[CharlieCreek]

The young do make a kind of chirping/squeaking noise if or when they are hungry. This isn't a concern unless it is constant or turns into a squeal.

Mom can easily be disturbed so the nest needs to be left alone, she will abandon the nest if disturbed and may or may not over a period of time move the young to the new nest. She may also kill the young if disturbed.

They will be in the nest for around 4 weeks after birth before they come out with 'mom', and disturbance during this time is to be avoided at all costs. The only time that any intervention may be needed is if the young start coming out of the nest on their own or they constantly squeak.

So the key here is to really keep your distance from the nest and if there are any warning signs as above then phone so a rescuer can assess the situation.

[pattie may]

The antics of my two hedgehogs last night were comical. One was eating food under the cover and second one just walked by. Later on a smaller one was eating the food. I went to check the garden and found a hedgehog standing at the entrance to the tunnel of the hedgehog house. It seemed to be an odd shape so I shone a dim torch in it's direction. It was pooing onto the ground outside the tunnel. There was then a rustle in the bushes and a second (smaller) hedgehog walked down the side of the hedgehog house. It lingered about and the first one backed out of the tunnel. The second one went into the hedgehog house and the first one turned and went down the garden. Seconds later the smaller one came running out of the hedgehog house and followed the first one. They huffed and puffed under the bushes for ages. So I left them to it. Much later there was only one of them wandering about the garden. I am now not sure which hedgehog is living in the hedgehog house. I don't think it's a pregnant female. Do you?