European hedgehog

The European hedgehog (also known as the West European hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus) is a well-known species and a favourite in European gardens. Its body is covered by up to 6,000 brown and white spines, and large adults measure 260 mm or more in head-and-body length, with adult weights ranging from around 500 g to over 1,100 g depending on the season. Males tend to be slightly larger than females, though seasonal weight changes are far more dramatic than any difference between the sexes.

European hedgehogs are found across a wide range of habitats, from woodland edges and meadows to orchards, parks and suburban gardens. They are most abundant within the gardens, parks and amenity land close to or within human settlements. In Great Britain they are a familiar and much-loved garden visitor, though their numbers have fallen sharply in recent decades.

The European hedgehog is native to Europe, with a natural range stretching from Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula eastwards through much of western and central Europe, and from southern Scandinavia and the northern Baltic coast to north-west Russia. It is also present on a number of Mediterranean islands, including Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Elba.

Outside its native range, European hedgehogs were introduced to New Zealand by colonists from England and Scotland, who brought them on sailing ships from the 1860s to the 1890s. They were taken mainly as a biological control against agricultural pests, or kept as pets. Those that survived the voyage of up to 100 days first settled on the South Island, and by the 1950s European hedgehogs could be found across almost the entire country.

In the early 1950s through to the 1980s, the European hedgehog was sometimes used as an unofficial symbol of NATO in several countries, seen as a peaceful creature that bristles only in self-defence.

European hedgehogs are largely nocturnal, spending the daylight hours resting in one of three types of nest: a breeding nest, a summer day nest, or a winter hibernation nest (hibernaculum). Nests are typically built under roots, branches or other supporting structures.

When moving about, European hedgehogs have a hesitant gait and frequently stop to smell the air. If alarmed, they roll into a tight ball, relying on their spines to deter predators. They are insectivores, with a diet that includes earthworms, snails, slugs, beetles, ants, bees, wasps, caterpillars and other invertebrates. They will also occasionally take eggs from ground-nesting birds, and may forage on carcasses.

Unlike the smaller, warmer-climate hedgehog species, European hedgehogs may hibernate in winter, though most wake at least once to move their nest. Starvation during hibernation is the most common cause of death.

European hedgehogs in the wild have an average life expectancy of around three years, though individuals can live to more than ten years of age.

Starvation is the most common cause of death, usually occurring during hibernation. Many potential predators are repelled by their spines, but predation does occur; hedgehog remains have been found in the stomachs of red foxes, European badgers and pine martens, though many of these may come from carcasses such as roadkill. In the UK, badgers are considered the main predator and also compete with European hedgehogs for some of the same food sources. In some areas European hedgehogs are common victims of road traffic.

A notable finding from the New Zealand population is that around 50% of hedgehogs there have faulty teeth, a trait believed to trace back to one of the original pioneer animals introduced in the nineteenth century.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. Always consult a vet about your pet's health.

How long do European hedgehogs live?

The average life expectancy for a European hedgehog in the wild is around three years, though some individuals have been known to live for more than ten years. Starvation during hibernation is the most frequent cause of death.

Are European hedgehogs endangered in the UK?

European hedgehogs are now Red Listed in Great Britain, meaning they are considered at risk of local extinction. It is estimated there are fewer than a million left in Great Britain, with rural populations having declined by at least half and urban populations by up to a third since 2000.

Do European hedgehogs carry anything that could affect people or gardens?

Hedgehogs taken to New Zealand by sailing ship lost all their fleas during the long voyage. In their native range they are generally welcomed in gardens for eating slugs, snails and other pests.

When are European hedgehogs active?

European hedgehogs are largely nocturnal, so garden visitors are most likely to spot them after dark. They hibernate in winter, though most wake at least once during that period to relocate their nest.

Why are European hedgehog numbers falling in Britain?

Surveys have recorded a steady long-term decline, with rural populations dropping by at least half and urban populations by up to a third since 2000. In the UK, badgers are the main predator of hedgehogs and also compete for some of the same foods. The species is now a Biodiversity Action Plan priority in Britain.

Do all European hedgehogs look the same?

Most European hedgehogs have brown and white spines, but a small number are leucistic, with creamy-coloured spines and black eyes. These so-called blonde hedgehogs are very rare in most places, but on North Ronaldsay and the Channel Island of Alderney around 25% of the local population is thought to be blonde. True albino hedgehogs also occur, but very infrequently.

A fully grown European hedgehog can carry up to 6,000 spines on its body - and by the time a hoglet is just 36 hours old, a second outer coat of spines has already begun to grow through.

European hedgehogs are probably the largest hedgehog species in the world, and possibly the heaviest member of their entire order. The maximum recorded weight is 2,000 g, though even in the food-rich days of autumn few wild individuals exceed 1,600 g.

On the Swedish island of Gotland, golden eagles may take more European hedgehogs than any other prey because there are so few other native land mammals, though introduced rabbits have since shifted the eagles' preferences.

Blonde European hedgehogs are exceptionally rare across most of their range - but on North Ronaldsay and Alderney, roughly one in four hedgehogs has creamy spines rather than the usual brown and white.