Species of the month: March

Species: Hedgehog

You’ve been asleep since October, you’ve lost a third of your body weight and now, in March you come snuffling into the open, looking for food.

This is the life of the hedgehog, one of our most popular animals and if the weather is mild, one to look out for during March.

Hedgehogs are not really asleep over winter, they are hibernating – the heart rate goes down from 190 to a mere 20 beats per minute and only a rise in temperature will get them out of the tangle of vegetation where they choose to rest, this is known as the hibernaculum.

Food is the first thing on a hedgehogs mind in spring; they have pointed teeth like shrews and moles and will tackle beetles, caterpillars, spiders, worms and slugs.

Although hedgehogs are mainly active at night (nocturnal), is it at this time of year that you might see them in the day time as they emerge and look for food.  Otherwise, it maybe loud snuffling noises in the night time as well as footprints and droppings that will betray their presence. The droppings are often visibly full of beetle cases; a popular food source.

In the summer time, hedgehogs breed, usually rearing five young, which are initially without spines, making some of them a likely food source for other animals such as foxes and badgers.

How you can help

Building up their body weight is a top priority for hedgehogs emerging from hibernation and they will always appreciate a little help from us humans.  Dog and cat food (maybe with a sprinkling of vitamin powder) is the best option, but don’t offer bread and milk, as this is bad for the hedgehog’s health.

The creation of some hedgehog habitat is another way you can help this species.  If you are able to set aside a wild area, a minimum of 1.5 x 3 metres, this area can be cleared and then scattered with seeds collected from a countryside walk.  The best way to do this is to collect seed heads in a plastic bag, then take this home and scatter the contents on the earth.

If you are a gardener, it is worth helping the hedgehog out in this way as they are great at eliminating pests such as slugs, but please don’t use slug pellets as this can make them deadly to hedgehogs.

What else to look out for in March

On farmland and grassland, this is the month to look out for brown hares as they engage in their famous “boxing”.  This is actually the female fending off the attentions of the males.  Romney Marsh area is a particularly good place to see brown hare.