Hedgehog!! (1 Viewer)

[seb_seb]

Recently discovered a very small hedgehog feeding and maybe sheltering in my front garden. Ive seen him both at night and at day i have two questions:
1. what can i feed it and how..(someone has answered catfood but then wont it just be eaten by cats?)
2and there is quite a large cat population in the area...do they kill hedgehogs as they do everything else?

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Go to http://www.software-technics.co.uk/bhps/ - this is the website for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, where you can get advice.

I think that apart from humans (and their cars) the only serious predators of hedgehogs are badgers. We've had a fox trying to get at the food our hedgehog was munching, and the fox gave up in the end! I would be surprised if a cat interfered with these prickly creatures.

 

[Nina P]

Seb seb, The cats would come to more harm than the hedgehog, and If you are trying to maintain itts well being, car food, the cheapest will do it some real good, and if you see it try and get the food close as you can to it. the other thing is to provide it with waterproof shelter, logs around a space with old carpet on top and a waterproof cover over that, fill with old dry leaves straw or similar, that way you have done all you can. Nina
PS don't ask any more such interesting questions for a few days as I'm off to do some birding later for a few days, N.

 

[birdman]

We have recently been picked as a reguler stop of route by a local hedgehog. He (?) started to take food from the ground table, seed and fruit and such, and drinks from the bird bath.

He's been spotted and sniffed by the dog a couple of times, but he seems unbothered, and just trundles into the borders (like a tank!) when he's done.

 

[Red_Kite]

We have a Hedgehog visiting our garden all the time, and it appreciates cat food imensely. Cats do not mess with hegehogs, they have more sense! Around where I live, it's not cats killing things that you have to worry about, it's the local kids and the pigeon fanciers.

 

[helenol]

We had an extremely large hedgehog visiting, which came to an abrult halt, followed by two baby ones. I've been spoiling them and giving them some mealworms. Although they seem to eat the raisons that are left on the ground from the birds. I am now down to one baby.

Catfood is recommended. Our "adopted" cat was watching the hedgehog one night, and didn't dare go near it. It gave me immense pleasure knowing that just for once, the cat was scared of something smaller than she is!

 

[seb_seb]

Well how do i stop all teh cats scoffing the cat-hedgehog food?

 

[Michael Frankis]

Well how do i stop all teh cats scoffing the cat-hedgehog food?

Warn the cat that the hedgehog is stuffed with fleas?

Michael

 

[Elizabeth Bigg]

Well how do i stop all teh cats scoffing the cat-hedgehog food?

Construct an enclosure of such a size that the hedgehog(s) can get in, but the cat cannot enter. I managed this with the help of an old guinea pig run - but it's rather tricky getting the measurements to suit the diners!

 

[dylan]

Like Helen, I spoil my 2 regular Hedgehogs with mealworms.
I've attached a photo of one of them.
I agree with Birdman about the tank trundling, I can hear them coming a couple of minutes before I see them, they make quite a bit of noise!

 

[birdman]

Thanks for posting a pic of a hedgehog dylan.

Although these fellas are common to us, I understand they are pretty much a European animal.

(A little nugget of information I picked up on a business program about Sega a couple of years back.

Sonic the "Hedgehog" was chosen even though there are no hedgehogs in the two main markets (US and Japan)!)

So just in case you overseas folk are wondering what we were going on about... dylan's given you the evidence.

By the way, these prickly guys are the size of... mmm... a small rabbit, but seem to wear size 14 boots!

By the other way... is there only one species of hedgehog, does anyone know???

 

[Mijbil]

Hi Birdman,
There are officially 12 species of hedgehog, including soft-coated animals called moon rats or gymnures (naked tails), one of which is called the shrew hedgehog, after their appearance. The only other thing I know is that the African pygmy hedgehog is sometimes kept as a pet.
Dylan, I love that photo, you don't find many good ones on these litlle ones.

 

[birdman]

Well that's a big surprise to me.

I can see a bit of investigation is required here!

Thanks Mijbil

 

[Mijbil]

Look at this one; a Long-eared hedgehog (Erinaceus auritus).

 

[Red_Kite]

Awwww it looks like Mr.Spock, bless it. I do like hedgehogs, they're funny little creatures.

Birdman - I really hadn't realised that there were no hedgehogs in the US!!! Never thought about it....I knew there were other species, but just didn't realise where they all lived. Well, you learn something new every day. Hehe.

Here's my regular little visitor : (trying to hide it's face!)

 

[birdman]

Brilliant photos.

I really like hedghogs... I just think they are so comical. They're a bit funny, and they trundle around, and they're a bit myopic, but as was written above, other animals don't generally mess with them.

And I just love the way they barge through the undergrowth!

 

[Tony_InDevon]

For such a ground hogging critter, if you get a chance to see them run or climb an obstacle it is amazing. They can really stride out and stretch to about twice their length to climb. Well worth seeing

 

[Mijbil]

I like them because to me, they seem to belong to the world of leprichauns and elves, and they migth do as they've 15 million years of unchanged appearance.
Red Kite, thanks for another good pic, I didn't realise they were unknown in the US either, As far as I know they live all over Europe, Africa, India and China, in South Africa they eat them, as we used to do, in Irac they used to keep them as pets to eat bugs and spiders, small wonder to be amazed they're unheard of in the states.
Seb Seb, try to make sure "your" hedgehog weighs at least 500 gms (1¼lb) before October otherwise you'll have to take it indoors or bring it to a wildlife shelter because it want survive winter.
I'm not going to pinch anymore pics from the net but do a Google surch yourself on "hedgehog species" (images, ofcourse), there are some weird looking litlle fellows there!

 

[Beverlybaynes]

We may not have 'em, but we DO know about them, I think!

One thing I've heard of referred to as a hedgehog is actually a contraption for scraping the mud off boots -- prickly brush thing, usually kept at the door, that looks remarkably like your little fellas there (and they ARE cute!).

Something tells me this came from English settlers long ago....

 

[dylan]

something that hasn't been mentioned is hedgehogs rolling into a spiky ball when they feel threatened .