Hedgehog - Erinaceus europaeus
Favourite Photos
Species Description
Widespread throughout the UK but has severely suffered. It can be locally common. Habitat includes: Anywhere with a good supply of food (in particular snails) and space to move around such as gardens, parks, allotments, churchyards, estates, woodland, scrub, field margins, hedgerows etc. There are thought to be less than 1 million individuals in Britain. They have declined massively (98% in the last 50 years!) due to intensive agricultural practices depleting food sources and habitats; and in urban and suburban areas due to increased barriers (especially blocked off gardens!) from developments, road traffic and general loss of biodiversity with less wild places. There is however positive evidence that in the latter areas hedgehogs seem to have reached a stable point of decline and are actually gradually increasing.
To help our spiky friends:
- Make your garden accessible: by cutting CD case sized holes on each each face or even better replacing it with a lovely mixed, native hedge
- Add water: whether a pond or a simple bowl of water (make sure that a hedgehog can easily get in and out)
- let your garden grow wilder: leave the grass to grow long, let the brambles and nettles encroach (you will be amazed at what other wildlife will come by simply doing nothing)
- Stop using slug pellets: Hedgehogs need slugs and snails as a number one food source (chomping up to 150
- a night!) and do a far better, more environmentally friendly job of controlling populations
- make sure there aren't any hazards: whereby a hedgehog could get snagged or trapped such as on netting. Make sure you check the area before mowing and lighting fires