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Hibernating hedgehogs

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  • The water in my garden seems to be the first thing the hogs go to before snuffling around the garden beds @AnniD. 🙂
  • I was hoping that our 2 visiting hogs were male and female, but after watching the violent attacks that have happened for the past two nights I am now wondering if these are two males.  One is quietly eating when the second runs up from behind, biffs the quiet one a few times making a lot of noise too and then disappears again.  After a few minutes of adjusting to what has just taken place the quiet one resumes it's eating. Have hogs been known to kill each other?
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Not that l know of @Guernsey Donkey2. This "biffing" behaviour is quite common, l've seen it a lot, and my local rescue posted a video of it happening there a few weeks ago. Tbh l don't know the reason for it, maybe it's hedgehog humour!
    @purplerallim , apparently due to the recent lack of rainfall, hedgehogs are becoming dehydrated even this early on in the year. Another rescue has posted asking people to make sure there is water available for them.
  • I wonder if the other gardens around me don't have bird baths on the ground then as they always make a bee line for mine🤔 or ponds. As hogs can travel half a mile in a night that's alot of dry gardens @AnniD .
  • Just seen our first hog tonight and he was big! I wonder if he is the one I have been feeding all winter. 👍
  • Isn't it lovely when you see your first hedgehog of the year - knowing that they have made it through the (mild) winter - your caring has paid off maisie_mac.
    I have just had to chase an all black cat (not seen it before) from our hog food, I hope it isn't going to be an ongoing visitor, as we have at least 2 hogs eating here each night now.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hedgehogs can be quite solitary and if one ‘is not feeling like it’ it won’t hesitate to let another one know. Never heard of them killing each other ... font think they have the teeth or jaws for that, let alone the inclination ... they just ‘want to be alone’ 😉 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Have seen my hog two nights in a row. Little one and shy of the light but eating well.
  • We have been feeding one visiting hedgehog all through the winter, so we were pleased to see two in the past couple of weeks, with some very noisy behaviour and fairly aggressive too.  However tonight two have been eating the food together and a third passed by a few times.  Delighted! Apologies that this picture was taken a year or two ago. We have seen 5 within a few feet of each other at one time, but not all feeding from the bowl.
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Haven't seen the adults this year yet, still the baby the only one coming. 
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