European hedgehog

The hedgehog, Britain's only spiny mammal, is unmistakeable. It is found throughout mainland Britain and Ireland and has been introduced to Orkney, Shetland, the Isle of Man, and some of the Channel Islands.

Taxonomy chart

Animalia - Chordata - Mammalia - Eulipotyphla - Erinaceidae - Erinaceus - E. europaeus

Conservation status: UK Red List

GB: Least Concern

England: Least Concern

Scotland: Least Concern

Wales: Least Concern

Global: Least Concern

Species information

Habitat: Urban & gardens, grassland, mixed woodland, heathland, arable land.

Description: Unmistakable coat of several thousand spines along the back, speckled brown and cream. Brown pointed furry face, small black eyes and nose.

Size: 150-300mm head and body length, dependant on age; tail: 10-20mm.

Weight: Up to 2kg, heaviest in autumn.

Lifespan: Up to 10 years (but this is exceptional). Over half die within their first year, and average life expectancy is 2-3 years in the wild.

Origin and distribution

Native. The hedgehog is common in parks, gardens and farmland throughout mainland Britain and Ireland. It has also been introduced to many islands including Orkney, Shetland, Isle of Man and some of the Channel Islands. Hedgehogs prefer woodland edges, hedgerows and suburban habitats where there is plenty of food for them. Intensively farmed arable land is probably a poor habitat, as are moor lands and dense conifer forests.

Diet

Hedgehogs eat beetles, worms, caterpillars, slugs and almost anything they can catch, but little plant material. They can also take eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds though rarely in large numbers and much less so than foxes and crows.

General ecology

Hibernation usually begins about November and ends around Easter, but is much affected by the weather. Hedgehogs normally wake up several times over winter and often build a new nest. In the spring they commonly spend a few days active then enter hibernation again during a cold snap. The winter nest (“hibernaculum”) is made of leaves, tucked under a bush or log pile or garden shed, anywhere that offers support and protection. Hedgehogs travel about 1-2km each night, males more so than females. They return to the same daytime nest for a few days then use another,  perhaps returning to an old nest at a later date.

Breeding

Females have litters of 4-5 young (sometimes more), between April and September. Males do not assist in rearing them. Young born late often die, being too small to survive hibernation. They need to weigh at least 450g (1lb.) or they are not fat enough to last the winter.

Conservation status

Hedgehogs are partially protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act and may not be trapped without a licence from Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales or Scottish Natural Heritage. Hedgehogs appear to be in decline and the total population is unknown. The biggest threat to hedgehogs is thought to be habitat loss, with the change from pastoral farming to arable crops, and increasing field size with the removal of hedgerows over the last 30 years. The use of chemicals in gardens and for intensive farming kills the creatures hedgehogs need for food and may also poison them directly. Many are also killed on the roads.

Hedgehogs survive well in gardens, particularly assisted by food put out for them, as modern tidy gardens may not otherwise provide sufficient food. Gardens can also be hazardous. Strimmers cut back rank vegetation in the very places hedgehogs lie up during the day, causing serious wounds to the sleeping animals.

Hedgehogs hibernate under garden bonfire heaps. These should always be turned over before being burnt. Hedgehogs swim well but easily drown in smooth-sided garden ponds, being unable to escape from them. Ponds (and swimming pools) should have a piece of chicken wire dangling into the water to help the animals climb out. Garden netting is also dangerous unless staked down tightly to avoid hedgehogs becoming entangled.

Identification

Unmistakable coat of several thousand spines along the back, speckled brown and cream. Brown pointed furry face, small black eyes and big nose. Adults are between 150mm and 300mm in length.

Field signs: Download a printable field sign guide below.

Footprints: Hedgehog tracks are best identified by using a footprint tunnel. They are five-toed, with a sharp claw on the end. They are 28mm in width and 25mm in length. To record footprints, a tunnel can be placed alongside hedgerows and in gardens. A footprint guide and protocol are both available from The Mammal Society.

Droppings: They can be found in grassland and farmland, and in people’s gardens. They are crinkly, often studded with shiny fragments due to their diet of insects. Variable size, 15-50mm long, 8-10mm thick. Colour: blue-black. Smell: Sweet, hint of linseed oil.

Download resources

General fact sheet

Field sign fact sheet