Hedgehog hibernation

1 WHEN DO HEDGEHOGS GO INTO HIBERNATION?

Hibernation is triggered by two factors – food and temperature. As the autumn chill descends, hedgehog prey, such as worms and beetles, burrow deeper into the soil and are harder to find, signalling that it’s time to turn in. Hedgehogs hibernate from early October to late March, but periodically emerge and move between hibernacula. Males start and end their hibernation earlier than the females.

2 HOW DO HEDGHOGS MAKE A WINTER NEST?

A hedgehog’s winter nest is an amazing construction, usually comprising deciduous leaves collected into a pile in or under a structure (anything from a patch of brambles to a home-made hedgehog house). The animal shuffles and turns, creating a layered effect of vegetation that will insulate it from extreme cold and, importantly, sudden and brief moments of heat that could pull it out of hibernation too early. New nests are made each year.

3 IS HIBERNATION RISKY?

Yes. If a hedgehog has been unable to eat enough over the autumn, it will not have stored enough fat and will not survive the winter. Hedgehogs need a good mix of wild food, which can be supplemented by meaty cat or dog food, especially when conditions are poor. In addition, hibernation sites are easily disturbed – autumn bonfires and compost heaps are, to a hedgehog, perfect places to hide away, as are wild patches of long vegetation. Please check your garden carefully for our prickly friends. Fay Vass, British Hedgehog Preservation Society