All about baby hedgehogs!
Hoglets are baby hedgehogs. In this article, part of the Wildlife Matters All About Hedgehogs series, we look at Hoglets, which are Baby Hedgehogs.
The breeding season for hedgehogs typically starts in May, with most young born in June and July.
Females have 1 to 2 litters per year – litters born late in the summer (around September) can find it harder to reach a sufficient size to be able to hibernate through the winter. Their food source disappears which will leave them dependant on supplementary feedings.
To court his mate, the male puts on lengthy displays (these can last several hours!) that involve much circling and rhythmic snorting and puffing. If another male tries to intervene, the rival males confront, chase and even head-butt each other – they are determined to keep their mate.
Though usually solitary animals, male and female hedgehogs will share a nest for a short period during mating season before the male leaves. The male takes no part in rearing the young.
Their gestation period is around 35 days. Hedgehogs are ‘induced-ovulators’, so the female only produces an egg whilst mating. Both male and female hedgehogs demonstrate promiscuity, with each having multiple mates in a single season; this means that a single litter of hoglets can actually have multiple fathers. They breed in their second year, usually after hibernation.
Baby hedgehogs are born in litters of around 4 to 5: although, there can be only one hoglet, or as many as 11.
Newborn hedgehogs are blind and only weigh between 3 and 25 grams. They are pink when born but their spines are visible under the skins surface; these spines may appear in the first twenty four hours. They are covered by a layer of skin to protect the mother during delivery, but within hours this skin contracts and the spines quickly appear. As the spines appear, the skin on their back turns dark. At this stage, the spines are soft to touch.
By seven days they usually weigh around 28-56g (1-2oz) and are between 50-100mm (2-4″) in length. These are very tiny hoglets that have no teeth and their eyes and ears are closed.
By 14 days they usually weigh has nearly doubled to 56-85g (2-3oz) and are between 70-130mm (3-5″) in length. Their eyes will still be closed but could open soon and their ear holes will begin to appear.
By 21 days they are up to 85-113g (3-4oz). Their eyes are now open and the first teeth are beginning to appear. They can drink and forage on small snails and beetles.
By 28 days they usually weigh about 113-170g (4-6oz) and now look like a mini adult hedgehog.
After about four weeks, mum takes her young on their first foraging trip. They can be seen on nightly wanders to foraging sites, feeding stations and water holes. Some mums check on hoglets as they forage, other Mums just walk. We do know that the hoglets feed themselves at this stage and are able to find food. In gardens where they are fed we still see them forage for food, so supplementary feeding doesn’t appear to stop them eating natural food.
The hoglets will become more independent over the next few weeks. Their personalities begin to show and some will stay very close to mum while others are more independent. They are constantly moving with their noses twitching in search for food. Mum doesn’t seem to abandon them as previously thought: we routinely see on trap cameras mothers leaving the nest and returning for short periods once a day and still feeding. Mums and babies have also been known to hibernate together over winter.
We have seen mothers building more than one nest and then moving her hoglets when a nest is disturbed. We wonder if they prepare several places as nursuries just incase one doesn’t work out. If you have observed this happening in your garden then please let us know.
Hedgehogs are stoic and independent animals but like each of us, sometimes they need a helping hand. If you see a hedgehog out in the day, it may need help, but please watch it for a few minutes – ask yourself is it moving, if yes, it could be a Mum out gathering nesting materials or a mum or Dad out finding food from May to September, if its isn’t moving, especially if you can see flies around the animal, it probably needs help and you should contact your local wildlife rescue and they will give you further advice.
From September through to November, A hedgehog out in the day could be feeding up for the long winter sleep, but a Hedgehog seen between November and April/May probably needs help. However, as we experience warmer winters, it is more likely hedgehogs will hibernate for shorter periods of time and once awake they need to feed urgently as it uses an incredible amount of energy to raise their bodies from torpor to start forgaing for food.
Clearly, this is not straight forward and we would advise you to take a picture or short video and contact your local wildlife rescue, send them the picture or video and follow their advice.
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Further Reading
Baby Hedgehogs Hedgehog Street
Caring for Hoglets British Hedgehog Preservation Society
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