Hedgehogs!
On this page you'll be able to find out lots more about hedgehogs, and keep up to date with the ones in Miss Butcher's special hedgehog box.
There will be information about hedgehogs, tips on how to spot them and what to feed them, how you can help them and craft ideas for you to do at home.
Hedgehog games to play
Useful websites to find out more...
Blue Peter hedgehog facts and games
Devon Wildlife Trust hedgehog facts
All about hedgehogs (facts, how to help etc)
Let Miss Butcher know if you find other good ones too!
Check below for the latest camera footage...
11/06/2020 Thelma has moved back home again after being away for a few weeks
11/05/2020 Thelma has moved into the nest box and taken over the nest. This is her trying to get out of it.
30/04/2020: Arrival in the nest box
22/04/2020 This hedgehog left its box for ten minutes during the day. Here you can see it coming back home.
20/04/2020 Bed making!
15/04/2020 One tired hedgehog yawning!
Hedgehog yoga...
24/3/2020: Thelma having a drink and something to eat
24/3/2020: Male hedgehog having a look around...
Thelma
Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs used to be very common in Devon, but are now increasingly rare. Some experts think that they will be extinct by 2050, so it's really important that we look after them while we can.
Hedgehogs are shy creatures that come out at night. They often live in gardens and parks, but because they are nocturnal we often don't know that they are there. They eat lots of different things but really like eating slugs and snails, so gardeners are often really pleased when they know that a hedgehog lives nearby. They are covered in prickly spines all over their body, and although we don't often see their legs, they can run really fast when they need to!
Craft ideas
We have moved all of the hedgehog craft ideas on to their own page as this one was getting quite busy. Click here to see what you could make at home.
Hedgehog facts
- Hedgehogs eat slugs, snails, beetles, earthworms and other invertebrates
- Hedgehogs have an average of 7000 spines on their backs
- They can raise their spines up when they are scared, or roll into a ball to defend themselves
- Hedgehogs hibernate over winter
- They are nocturnal (so come out at night-time)
- Hedgehogs don't have lots of fleas!
- Feed hedgehogs on cat food or biscuits, NEVER milk, bread or mealworms, even if they appear to like them.
- Don't use slug-pellets (even wildlife friendly ones) as they make hedgehogs very ill
- A hedgehog out in the day is in trouble and needs to be taken to a vet.
What other hedgehog facts can you find out? There are lots more that we could put here...
1M asked some super questions as part of their topic on woodlands. Here are the answers...
Two hedgehogs (Thelma on back right!)
Two baby hedgehogs sharing a bowl of food
Feeding hedgehogs
Did you know hedgehogs love cat food? They are also very thirsty, so always make sure that there is fresh water to drink. If you have a pond, put a ramp on one side so that they can climb out if they fall in.
Hedgehogs in daytime
Hedgehogs are nocturnal, which means they come out at night. If you see a hedgehog out in the day, it normally means it needs help, but over the last couple of days there have been a couple around that have been for a wander at the wrong time. The pictures below show one of the hedgehogs my neighbours spotted in their garden. We checked it was ok, put down some water for it and then left it to snuggle down behind the bamboo. That evening they put food out for it and sent me these photos to prove it was ok. He's now called Alvin because when he eats he sounds like a chipmunk!
Miss Butcher's hedgehog box
Miss Butcher now has a collection of hedgehog boxes after a hedgehog ran across her feet in the garden last summer. She has a 'feeding station' with a camera where the hedgehogs go to eat, and sometimes sleep. Once there were four baby hedgehogs in there at once, but there is often one little one (called Thelma!) who spends a lot of time in the box guarding the food!
WANTED!
Can you draw some lovely hedgehog pictures that we could post up here in a gallery?