Everything you always wanted to know about the hedgehog:general information, nutrition, care, hibernation, housing. With autumn just around the corner, this information about hedgehogs is a must read for everyone. Learn more about this fun (protected) animal:the hedgehog.
The hedgehog is a mammal and is known as an insectivore. The most striking feature of a hedgehog's appearance is, of course, the spines on its back and flanks. A hedgehog is between 18-31cm tall and an adult hedgehog weighs between 1000-1400 grams.
The hedgehog has an excellent sense of smell and hearing, his eyes, on the other hand, are quite poorly developed.
At 8 to 10 months, a hedgehog is sexually mature and the male will look for a female (usually on a lawn). The mating season is from April to August with an extension to September. When two males have the same female in mind, it will be very rough, because the males fight with each other. The winner will then do everything in his power to persuade the female to mate with him by performing a real mating dance. After mating, the hedgehogs separate, because the pregnancy (gestation period is about 35 days) as well as the education of the little hedgehogs is done exclusively by the mother hedgehog.
In principle, a hedgehog sheds once a year. The young hedgehogs weigh no more than 20-25 grams at birth. The suckling period is about 40 days. After 6 weeks, the young hedgehogs already weigh 300 grams.
A hedgehog will eat about 1/3 of its own body weight per day. In the wild, the diet mainly consists of all kinds of insects, worms and snails living on the ground. However, since the required amount of food is not achieved in most gardens, you can (limited) feed the hedgehog. This is best done by placing a bowl with cat food (small dry food or from a can) in a sheltered place. Please note:hedgehogs are very picky and it can take a while before you find the right food for the hedgehog.
If you want to spoil the hedgehog even more, you can give a piece of apple or soaked raisins. A peanut butter sandwich or mealworms are also appreciated by the hedgehog. We ourselves used to feed our hedgehogs liver and egg to help them survive the winter, especially the young hedgehogs that were too light.
Set out a saucer of fresh water so that the hedgehog has enough water to drink every day. DO NOT give milk, the hedgehog cannot tolerate this and will only get sick from it.
Although well-intentioned:do not go looking for insects for the hedgehog yourself, because not all insects are suitable. Let the hedgehog collect his food himself and only feed if you see that it is necessary.
In principle, hedgehogs need little care, except that they sometimes have to be fed. If you see that a hedgehog is sick, it is best to contact a hedgehog shelter. Not all vets know what to do with a sick hedgehog. Looking for a hedgehog rescue center? Look here: http://www.egelopvang.nl/
If the temperature outside drops below 12˚C, the hedgehog will look for a suitable spot to prepare for hibernation. The hedgehog will make a nest of withered leaves, moss, grass and sometimes even branches. The nest is preferably made in a sheltered spot, for example under a bush or in a shed. In this nest, the hedgehog will spend its hibernation curled up. On average, hibernation lasts 4-5 months, depending on the temperature.
During hibernation, the hedgehog's body temperature drops from 35˚ to 8-10˚C. His heart rate goes from 180 beats per minute to 20 beats or even less and breathing drops from 40-50 times per minute to 3-4 times. All this ensures that the hedgehog uses as little energy as possible during the cold winter months. During the hibernation, the hedgehog will only eat, drink, urinate and defecate minimally. It is therefore not the case that the hedgehog does not wake up at all during hibernation. In winter it is therefore best to put a bowl of dry food for the hedgehog, so that the hedgehog has normal food in case of hunger.
If you have young hedgehogs in your yard, weigh the hedgehogs when the temperature starts to drop to see if the hedgehog's weight is enough to get through the winter. Hedgehogs weighing less than 600-700 grams will need to be helped through the winter. You can do this yourself, but it does take some work. When in doubt, you can always contact the aforementioned hedgehog rescue centers that can be found all over the country.
A hedgehog in nature will find its own place, but if you have a hedgehog in the garden you will have to pay attention to a number of things:
The hedgehog is still a protected animal in the Netherlands and should not just be kept as a pet!
Have you ever had a hedgehog in your garden? Let me know in the comments!
