Garden Visitors: The Hedgehog...

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I thought i would run a little series on 'Garden Visitors'. 

We will have a look at all the wonderful wildlife that may visit your garden, along with some activity ideas to do with the children.

So, lets start with .....

The Hedgehog 



The Latin word for hedgehogs is Erinaceus and our own British hedgehog is scientifically known as Erinaceus europaeus; it is the same species that occurs throughout most of Europe. In Britain it is found almost everywhere except some of the Scottish Islands, but tends to be scarce or absent from wet areas and pine forests. Uplands and mountainsides are not popular with hedgehogs, probably because they lack both suitable food and suitable nesting places. Hedgehogs are well established in our urban habitat and can, somewhat surprisingly, survive very well in our cities, making extremely good use of cemeteries, railway land, wasteland and both public and private gardens as long as they are joined up with others. 

DESCRIPTION: Everyone is sure to know what a hedgehog looks like. The hedgehog’s back and sides are covered in 25mm (1 inch) long spines (which are really modified hairs). These are absent from the face, chest, belly, throat and legs which are covered with a coarse, grey-brown fur. There are approximately 5,000/7,000 spines on an average adult hedgehog. What many people do not know is that a hedgehog has a small tail.

DIET: Hedgehogs are certainly noisy eaters as people who have encountered these animals ‘at table’ will testify; but what do they actually eat? This diagram shows that they eat a lot of beetles, along with caterpillars and earthworms. Most people are aware that hedgehogs are mostly insect eaters. Many people put out a saucer of meat-based pet food for their garden friends. The hedgehog will treat this as a welcome supplement to its normal diet and will not go hungry if, for some reason, the food is not put out. Always make sure that a dish of water is available especially during the summer months or in extreme weather conditions. 

HIBERNATION: hedgehogs tend to hibernate between November and Mid-March and may choose a stack of leaves or branches in your garden to hibernate in - so if lighting fires please check the fire before lighting!

HOW TO HELP OUR HEDGEHOG FRIENDS....

The best ways of assisting hedgehogs are by helping them avoid man-made hazards and providing them with suitable places to nest, especially in the winter.


To find out more take a look at  https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk






Hedgehog activity ideas for the children ...

  • Create a wild area in your garden 
  • Design and build a hedgehog home
  • Create clay hedgehogs
  • Paint hedgehogs - explore the colour brown
  • Scavenger hunt for things that are brown 
  • Can you find objects that are spiky like a hedgehog?
  • Explore different textures - rough, smooth, bumpy, prickly etc
  • Make pom pom hedgehogs
  • Research the life cycle of a hedgehog
  • Read stories about hedgehogs
 
What will you do to help these lovely little creatures and encourage them into your garden ?  










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