All hail THE HOG
Hedgehogs are one of our most beloved native mammals, and May is the month when they mate. After mating, the male makes a sharp exit, leaving the female to a solitary, four-week pregnancy.
In June or July, the female gives birth to a litter of up to seven hoglets who, for the next month, are dependent on her for food and protection. On average, only two or three hoglets per litter survive, since mothers tend to desert their offspring if disturbed. If you have a hedgehog nest in your garden, it’s important to leave it well alone.
It’s during these weeks that you’re likely to spot mother hedgehogs foraging for worms, beetles, slugs, caterpillars, and earwigs by night. At four weeks, hoglets spend ten days shadowing…