
©Tom Marshall
European hedgehog
Scientific name: Erinaceus europaeus
A gardener's best friend, the European hedgehog will happily hoover up those pesky slugs. Famously covered in spines, this small omnivore mostly comes out at night and hibernates over winter.
Species information
Category
Statistics
Length: 15-30cmTail: 1-2cm
Weight: up to 2kg
Average lifespan: 2-3 years
Conservation status
Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework.
When to see
April to OctoberAbout
Round, brown and famously covered in spines, the European hedgehog (often just referred to as 'hedgehog') is one of the UK's most familiar wild mammals. It is most commonly spotted in parks and gardens, where bushes and hedges provide the perfect daytime getaway, and insect-rich lawns and flowerbeds make excellent feeding grounds at dusk.Hedgehogs eat all kinds of invertebrates, as well as amphibians, birds' eggs and anything else they can catch; they particularly like big, crunchy beetles, earthworms and slugs, making them a gardener's best friend. Hedgehogs hibernate over winter, from about November to April, in a nest of leaves or logs called a 'hibernaculum'.