©Tom Marshall
European hedgehog
Scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus
Considered a gardener’s best friend, hedgehogs will happily hoover up slugs roaming in vegetable beds. Famously covered in spines, hedgehogs like to eat all sorts of bugs, but especially slugs and crunchy beetles. They are most active at night and hibernate through winter.
Species information
Category
Statistics
Length: 15-30cmTail: 1-2cm
Weight: up to 2kg
Average lifespan: 2-3 years
Conservation status
Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
When to see
April to OctoberAbout
Round, brown and famously covered in spines, the hedgehog is the UK’s most familiar wild animal. They can be spotted in parks and garden where bushes provide the perfect daytime getaway! They love long grass full of insects to feast on once the sun has set. Hedgehogs hibernate over winter from around November to April, usually choosing to nest in piles of leaves or logs.Hedgehogs eat all kinds of invertebrates, as well as amphibians, birds' eggs and anything else they can catch; they particularly like big, crunchy beetles, earthworms and slugs, making them a gardener's best friend. Hedgehogs hibernate over winter, from about November to April, in a nest of leaves or logs called a 'hibernaculum'.