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Many of us never really give much thought to hedgehogs. Often the only time we see them is on the side of the road, the victim of a car. Sometimes they'll be found in the garden during the spring cleanup in their nests hibernating. Tragically though, more often they'll be found in the garden by the next major killer of hedgehogs - the weed trimmer. When this happens we often find ourselves as the surrogate parent. At this point in time we realise that our fondness for the small animals exceeds our knowledge of them. So let's look at a few basic facts, habits and traits of the hedgehog.
Hedgehogs belong to the family Erinaceidae and are distant relatives of shrews, moles, tenrecs and moonrats. There are 14 species of spiny hedgehogs split in four genus; Atelerix (found in Central/Southern Africa), Paraechinus (Northern Africa), Hemiechinus (Middle East) and Erinaceus (Europe, UK and New Zealand). In the USA the species Atelerix albiventris has been imported purely for being kept as pets, but not released into the wild. In the wild hedgehogs live for three or four years, though in good climatic conditions they may reach seven years. Hedgehogs are nocturnal insectivores that hibernate in colder climates.
Hedgehog diet
Their diet consists mainly of earthworms, snails, beetles and caterpillars but they also eat a large range of other insects. Individual hedgehogs have slightly differing diets depending on their environment; some will eat more snails to beetles or more earthworms, in fact some hedgehogs have been seen to jump in the air to catch moths! Though primarily having an invertebrate diet hedgehogs have been known to eat carrion, small birds or small mammals. If they come across eggs that are cracked or have been ejected from the nest they will eat these also. In a captive environment they will happily eat dog biscuits and the occasional piece of sweet soft fruit.
Hedgehogs have poor eyesight so rely mostly on hearing and smell to locate and catch their prey. Having poor vision is not a problem as hedgehogs are nocturnal and spend most of the night searching for food whilst sleeping during the day. Their hearing is so acute that a hedgehog will locate an earthworm by putting its ear to the ground and pulling the worm straight from the soil. Hedgehogs can also be trained to come to a dish of food each night. Dad has a bowl under cover and fills it with broken dog biscuits, the animals come out at approximately dusk and tuck in.
Hibernation
In the colder climates hedgehogs will hibernate through the 6 colder months of the year. In countries that have a more temperate climate, such as New Zealand, or where the hedgehog is kept inside as a pet the hibernation cycle is missed or very minimal. During hibernation the hedgehog will seem dead as the heartrate lowers from 190 beats per minute to 20 beats per minute and the body temperature drops from 35 degrees to 10 degrees centigrade. During this period the hedgehog lives off its fat reserves and it has been determined that if they have a body weight of less than 600 grams the likelihood of living through the winter is slight.
Reproduction and Rearing
The breeding season begins late spring/early summer. The female flattens her spines and the male connects, the male has a very long appendage (as much as 10% of its body weight) no doubt to avoid the spines. Gestation period is generally between 30 or 40 days and hedgehogs can have up to 2 litters per year. Litter sizes can vary between 1 to 8, generally this will depend on food availability, and in the wild those living nearer human habitation have access to a greater range of food and will have the larger litters. Immediately after birth and up to 5 weeks of age the female will rear the young without any assistance from the male and makes an excellent mother. But a word of warning if rearing in captivity; as the mother recognises her offspring by smell do not handle the young or the mother will react to human scent and desert her babies. Another point remember is that if the mother is only partially domesticated she can either desert, kill or even may eat her young if she becomes threatened or distressed. After 6 weeks the young become fully independent with the mother becoming disinterested in their welfare. During the next 2 weeks the youngsters, now having left the nest, will learn to find their own food and fend for themselves.
How to uncurl a hedgehog
Sometimes you may need to unroll a hedgehog for examination. Firstly pick it up, turn it over to identify where the nose is located. Hold the hedgehog by its back with the head under your fingers. Gently rock forwards and backwards, when the nose starts to show the front legs will also emerge. As the legs reach for the ground gently put the hedgehog down.
Orphans
Sometimes due to road, dog or other accidental death the mother leaves a nest of orphans. The babys age can be determined by its appearance. At birth they are blind, deaf and have a skin with fluid underneath much like a large water blister. Within an hour the first baby spines will have penetrated the skin and released the fluid. At one week the baby is still blind and deaf but has some darker spines growing through the pale baby ones. Two and a half weeks of age will see the youngster with both eyes and ears open, fine hair growing on the face and the adult set of spines showing. By four weeks they are alert and active with milk teeth established and the snout having changed from the elongated baby shape to the more pointed adult shape.
If an orphan is found its age will determine how it is fed. On initially finding the youngster the main problem will be that of dehydration. Use an eyedropper with a very weak solution of glucose and warm water; don't expect it to take more than 2 - 3 ml of fluid. Another difficulty with hedgehogs is that up to four weeks of age the mother forces bladder and bowel evacuation by licking around the tail area, in the case of hand rearing this can be achieved by gently rubbing a cotton bud soaked in baby oil around the tail region. So if the baby will not accept the fluid try this method to empty the bladder and induce it to ingest something.
Feeding
From birth to one week of age use an eyedropper and feed approx. 2 ml of either lambs or goats milk (most often available in powder form) mixed with a little egg yolk every 2 -3 hours. Some experts suggest adding minerals and vitamins to the mix, but I would recommend speaking to a vet first in order to get the right mix and quantities. Do not feed them cows milk, as hedgehogs cannot digest it properly.
One to two weeks provide 2-3 mls of milk mix every 3 hrs.
Three to four weeks up the quantity to 5ml and feed at 4 hr intervals.
From four weeks onwards reduce the amount of hand feeding and leave out a dish of milk and another of water. Solid food can also be introduced, some puppy food or a soft scrambled egg is ideal. By this stage the youngster will be quite active so use dishes that are hard to upset otherwise the frustration factor will rise as you fill the dishes every 2 minutes.
By six weeks hand feeding will have given way to self-feeding. Provide a dish of milk and water with two additional small feeds of puppy food daily. The reason for the rationing of solid food is because hedgehogs are voracious feeders and will consume as much food as you put in front of them.
From eight weeks they will be adolescents going on to adulthood and be fully weaned. Now their diet should consist of snails, worms beetles, etc, If you wish to keep the hedgehog as a domestic pet you can source mealworms from the pet shop and compost worms from a garden centre. Supplement with dog biscuits and catfood, also if you have the opportunity hunt out slugs and snails, as even the shells are consumed.
Housing
If living in the UK, Europe or New Zealand, a rabbit hutch outside is ideal - though be warned hedgehogs are marvellous climbers and escape artists so the roof should be secure.
If you wish to keep a hedgehog inside once again ensure that the cage is secure. It is generally estimated that 1 sq. mtr floorspace is required for each hedgehog. There are many different types of cages from cardboard boxes to dog cages. Some of the most successful designs to date use large sealed plastic containers with plenty of air holes in the top. Joining them together with 100mm plumbing pipe can create an entire complex, giving bedrooms, exercising rooms or feeding rooms. This design also allows for easy cleaning.
If you wish the hedgehog freedom of the garden ensure that it is 'hedgehog friendly' that is:
Do not use snail/slug killer as it also attracts hedgehogs and is fatal; use a beer trap instead.
If you have a pond incorporate gently sloping sides or a 'hedgehog ramp' to prevent drowning.
Have plenty of low shrubbery at the edge of the garden to provide shelter during the day.
A compost heap with plenty dry leaves is a good idea, but be careful when pulling it apart as hedgehogs love to nest and hibernate in them.
There are many other small alterations you can make to your garden but one of the best things you can do for your hedgehog friends is just be aware of them.
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