Why the population decline
Why the population declineFrom 36 million to 1 million in about 50 years, why.....
Intensive Agriculture Increase in unfriendly Pesticides Unfriendly Slug Pellets Smaller, tidier Gardens with no wild area Excessive Garden Netting causing Hedgehogs to get tangled Not looking before we have a Bonfire Garden Strimmers and Lawnmowers All Patio Gardens Fences and Walls not allowing gaps for a Hedgehog Highway (5" wide x 5" high will do) Road Kill Higher Winter temperatures causing hibernation worries I'm sure there are more. Richard New Member? Get more from the Forum and join in 'Members Chat' - you're very welcome
Re: Why the population declineOne of the big killers this time of the year are the plastic ties used to hold drinks cans together. Where I live youngsters often head to the woods for a drink in the summer and, even though they might take the empty cans home , the plastic ties get left behind. Can we spread the word to snap or cut the ties as soon as they are taken off the cans, even if they're going in the recycling, so wherever they end up they're not a danger to animals especially Hedgehogs.
Re: Why the population declineWhat about cats? Could they be a threat, at least to young hedgehogs? There are lots of cats in our garden since the back field was built on. The new houses have back gardens the size of pocket handkerchiefs so the neighbour's cats seem to flock to my large garden. Not sure if cats would prey on young hedgehogs.
Michael
Re: Why the population declineI don't think so Michael.
The biggest Predator of Hedgehogs are Badgers I believe. Richard New Member? Get more from the Forum and join in 'Members Chat' - you're very welcome
Re: Why the population declineI've also wondered about lung-worm. The same one that dogs can get from eating
slugs and snails, I was told hedgehogs can get this too. Apparently there is more of it around now so I wonder if that has contributed. This sounds horrible but I cant even remember the last time I saw a dead hedgehog on the road. "He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant Re: Why the population decline
You're absolutely right - used to be a common (sad) sight, didn't it? You've made me think too and I can't remember the last time. And I've never actually seen a live hedgehog either.
Re: Why the population decline
You're right about lungworm being a problem Kitla .. fortunately if caught early enough the hedgehog can survive. If you see a hedgehog wandering about in daylight the likely cause is a lungworm infection so get it to a vet asap and you could save it's life. Hedgehog lungworm only occurs in hedgehogs and slugs are the intermediate hosts. There is a research programme going on at present to test slugs for the parasite DNA. If the Hedgehog lungworm is found in the slugs then it means that there must be hedgehogs in that area. At present, hedgehog numbers are estimated by sightings recorded by volunteers and the numbers killed on roads. Finding slugs is a lot easier than finding hedgehogs so this could provide a much more accurate way to estimate hedgehog populations. Re: Why the population declineI would have thought like so many species the destruction of their habitat isn't helping their survival ....
Where do they actually hibernate...do they have burrows in the hedgerows Jannie? ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)✰
(¸.✰´¨(¸.✰ Manda Living our version of the Good Life with 1 dog (who feels like we're living with 4!), 1 cats, a few sheep and 11 chooks. Don't get your knickers in a knot..it solves nothing ~ just makes you walk funny
Re: Why the population declineThere's nowhere specific Manda, they don't burrow as in underground but will build nests in piles of leaves which is why so many get killed or injured in bonfires. It's always a good idea to build bonfires the same day you're going to light them so they don't move in overnight. Compost bins are another danger, how many of us think HEDGEHOG before we dive in with a fork? Hedgehog houses can be a life saver as they will move in quite readily if they're in the garden. They aren't territorial animals so don't be disappointed if they move on in Spring though.
Re: Why the population declinea few years ago my friend found 2 large hedgehogs in her shed. As she backed onto
an estate and a busy road she decided to rehome them with me, backing onto fields, adjoining a large unused, wild garden. I bought a hedgehog house, put out cat food & water dish, but never saw them again until we found a squashed one on a nearby road. Hedgehogs don't do what they're told! "He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant |
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