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Given this figure, and more firmly established rates of decline, [36] it is now thought likely that there are fewer than a million hedgehogs in Great Britain. [37] In the UK badgers are the main predator of hedgehogs, [ 38 ] [ 39 ] and also compete for some of the same foods.
The animal hospital in Manchester has urged the public to do more to help the mammals thrive.
Their diet includes the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds, so they may have already contributed to the decline and extinction of up to fifteen bird species and are a threat to those that remain. [11] They also pose a threat to endangered native skinks. Hedgehogs are therefore humanely controlled in many parts of New Zealand.
Hedgehogs sleep for a large portion of the day under bushes, grasses, rocks, or most commonly in dens dug underground. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, though the duration depends on temperature, species, and abundance of food. Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, with a variety of grunts, snuffles and/or squeals.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal and need a dark sleeping place in the daytime, so make sure to include a little hiding spot like a small hut, a hollow plastic log, or a wooden box. A hedgehog crunching ...
The project was established in 2011 in response to a detected decline [1] [2] [3] in hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) populations in Britain, where it is a native species. As of January 2025, over 130,000 volunteers have signed up to be ‘Hedgehog Champions’, committing to making changes in their gardens to encourage and support wild hedgehogs.
Furry hedgehogs are teardrop-shaped, with faces ending in a long, narrow snout, not unlike a mini armadillo without a shell, or something halfway between a mouse and a shrew.
Hedgehogs are prone to many diseases, including cancer, which spreads quickly in hedgehogs, and wobbly hedgehog syndrome (WHS), a neurological problem. Some symptoms of WHS resemble those of multiple sclerosis (MS) in humans, therefore the condition the animal experiences can be compared with what MS patients experience.