Hedgehogs are solitary by nature and males (boars) and females (sows) do not pair bond to raise young (hoglets), the sow is responsible for the raising of the hoglets and the boar won't be seen again after mating occurs. Of course animals don't always read the books written about them and we have observed one case of wild (and free roaming) hedgehogs in a suburban garden when the boar did stay with the family, this was extraordinary behaviour and not the norm. The boar was removed as boars may canniblise their own hoglets.
Once the hoglets leave the nest (at around 6 weeks and at ten times their birth weight) they will separate, however we have also observed that some late autumn juveniles may stay together throughout the first winter hibernation period.
Hedgehogs become sexually mature in their second year. With the decline in hedgehog numbers sadly siblings interbreeding is becoming an issue and often these result in hoglets that do not reach maturity.
Hedgehogs are not territorial, however they do seem to follow a regular routine, visiting the same gardens and even specific areas at roughly the same time each night. They will tolerate other hedgehogs and conflict is normally only over food at feeding bowls and over opposite sex hedgehogs during the mating period. Boars can be quite aggressive and I have witnesses a boar charge and roll another boar about 20ft down a garden.
We have made other observations of behaviour in litters of hoglets that have to be hand raised in captivity before release once the required weight is gained. We have observed hoglets bullying other siblings in order to get all of the food even though there is enough for all the litter. Hoglets have also shown protective instincts for other siblings in the litter, with one hoglet trying to block our access to another hoglet. We have also observed a kind of separation distress if for some reason a hoglet has to be removed from a littler with hoglets refusing to eat until the litter is reunited. (sometimes juveniles in a litter have to be separated especially if large weight differences occur). Hoglets also seem to need the company of other hoglets and when single hoglets come in they do better if introduced to other hoglets of a similar age.
Tue May 14, 2013 8:04 pm
