British gardens matter more than ever for hedgehogs, according to a study of the secret night life of the spiny mammals.
Scientists gave householders wildlife cameras to spy on hedgehogs in more than 400 gardens in Chester in one of the largest studies of its kind.
The animals turned up in more than half of gardens studied, with food a powerful attraction.
When I lived abroad, I would see these little guys often. I think they’re not such a big thing here because of the foxes, which are less prevalent in european cities
Hedgehogs are critically endangered in the UK, largely due to habitat disruption, they travel multiple miles per night in search of food and mates. People’s gardens hold huge resources for them but they’re increasingly becoming hard to access as walls and concrete grounded fences block travel between gardens pushing them out into roads to cover enough ground.
Also farming has had a huge impact in hedgehogs as land clearances have removed a lot of their natural habitat (hedgerows) and increasing pesticide use means less food and less safety.
I’m super dumb, never thought they get any predators, since they are so… ouchy.
Unfortunately foxes are very clever, they do have ways of dispensing with hedgehogs. Mainly by taking them by surprise before they can curl up.
Now I imagine them rolling curls of ouch down the hill.