Hedgehogs are adaptable creatures that thrive in a diverse array of environments. While they tend to avoid excessively damp locations and large coniferous forests, you can find hedgehogs across many regions of Britain and Europe, and beyond. Understanding where these fascinating animals live is key to appreciating their ecological role and how we can best support their populations.
Rural Havens for Hedgehogs
In rural landscapes, hedgehogs are often found enjoying the fringes of woodlands. They particularly flourish in the patchwork of habitats characteristic of the British countryside, which includes hedgerows, fields, and smaller woodlands. This mosaic provides them with an ideal combination of food sources, nesting opportunities, and safe passageways.
Hedgerows, in particular, are quintessential hedgehog habitats. As their name suggests, hedgehogs have a strong affinity for these linear features. Hedgerows offer excellent nesting sites, a rich supply of insects and other invertebrates to eat, protection from larger predators, and crucial corridors that allow hedgehogs to move safely between different areas.
Farmland also plays a significant role in providing hedgehog foraging grounds. Pastures used for grazing livestock like cattle, sheep, or horses can be important feeding locations, offering access to ground-dwelling invertebrates.
Urban Oasis: Gardens as Hedgehog Strongholds
Interestingly, hedgehogs are just as comfortable, and often more numerous, in urban and suburban settings. Gardens have emerged as vital habitats for hedgehogs, especially in recent years. These green spaces offer a wealth of both natural food sources, such as beetles and worms, and supplementary food provided by humans. Gardens also provide numerous potential locations for hedgehogs to build nests for breeding, resting during the day, and for hibernation during the colder months. This abundance of resources and shelter has made urban areas strongholds for hedgehog populations.
The Importance of Connectivity and Territory
While gardens and other habitats may seem small to us, a hedgehog’s home range is surprisingly large. They are not territorial in the sense that they defend specific areas from other hedgehogs, but they do have home ranges that they consistently utilize. Radio-tracking studies have revealed that these home ranges can vary throughout the year and between males and females, averaging between 10 to 20 hectares in size. A single hedgehog can travel an average distance of 2 kilometers in just one night while foraging and patrolling its range. During the breeding season, male hedgehogs can cover even greater distances, sometimes up to 3 kilometers in a single night, as they search for females.
For urban hedgehogs, the connectivity of gardens is absolutely critical. To thrive, they need access to a sufficiently large area to roam and find resources. Creating links between gardens, such as hedgehog highways – small gaps in fences – is a vital step in ensuring that urban landscapes can continue to support healthy hedgehog populations.
