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Hedgehogs

With the Latin Name : Erinaceus europaeus these prickly mamals grow to around 250 mm in length from nose to tail, and have a bulky body weighing around 1kg. The tail is between 22-30 mm long. They get their name from the pig-like snorting noise they make while snuffling through hedgerows. They are distribution throughout the UK and are mostly seen in between April and October, since Hedgehogs hibernate for the remainder of the year in somewhere warm and dry, such as a pile of leaves or logs. Hedgehogs do most of their hunting at night as have a strong sense of smell and hearing, but relatively poor eyesight. In gardens, they eat many of the creatures which gardeners regard as pests. They live mainly in Hedgerows, grassland and gardens, but will venture out onto roadways and paths in search of Beetles, slugs, snails and other invertebrates. Hedgehogs are very mobile, and can swim, climb almost vertical walls, and run speeds of up to two metres per second.
hedgehog Picture They are different from every other British mammal in that they have a coat of around 6,000 sharp, unbarbed spines on their back. For the Squeamish, there can be up to 500 fleas on one hedgehog, but the fleas are a specific type which have adapted to life amongst the tough hedgehog spines. Although they sometimes get passed to dogs, cats and humans, they rarely bite. When they do before they harmlessly drop off.


full Auchmacoy Road Hedeghog Video - 5Mb
Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity in the second year after they are born. After emerging from their first winter in hibernation they build up their body weight, and by late April they are ready to breed. The ideal mating time would be on a warm night, usually between May and June. The males are called boars and the females are called sows. Mating begins when the male finds a female on his nightly hunting trip. As he approaches her, he makes lots of pig-like snorting noises, and then he shuffles round and round her, trying to gain her attention. This can sometimes go on for hours, as the female is usually more interested in foraging for food than mating. All the male can do is snort louder, and circle closer to her. If he is persistent enough, the female may give in and allow the male to mate with her. Mating only lasts for a minute or two, but the female must completely flatten her back before the male can mount her, otherwise he could be seriously injured on her spines. After the two separate, the male plays no further part in bringing up the family. If the mating is successful, the babies are born four weeks later.

Hedgehogs generally have two litters each year of between five and seven young. The female makes a nest just underground of dry leaves and grass. The gestation period lasts four weeks. Fortunately for the mother, the young are not born with spines, but are covered with short white hairs which gradually form into spines. After one month the young are ready to leave the nest on foraging trips with their mother. After two months they are ready to leave their mother who will then start another brood. When approached you will observe the Hedgehog stop, and start to "Bristle", then if threatened a Hedgehog will roll up into a ball in order to protect themselves. Hedgehogs have a row of muscles along the underside of their bodies which allow them to roll up into a tight ball of prickles.