Night time is the right time for hedgehogs

Russ Hedley explores what fantastic wildlife can be found in and around the Bolton area.

IF you go down to the bottom of the garden after dark and hear noises coming from the bushes, it’s likely to be hedgehogs.

From April to August the hedgehogs enter their breeding season so are very active in the evenings.

If they aren’t looking for food they’re looking for each other. If they see you they will first stop still.

“Maybe the human hasn’t seen me”, thinks the hedgehog.

This is a good distance to watch it from, as the hedgehog still feels a sense of safety. Move closer and the hedgehog has a choice. It is, of course, covered in spines, so it could always roll up into an impenetrable ball of spikes that most animals won’t tackle.

But in my experience, I have almost never had this happen. You might not think it, but the hedgehog is actually an accomplished runner!

Get too close, and it will probably high-tail it out of there to safety. In the future we may see our hedgehogs get progressively quicker, as the faster they can move, the better they will be able to dodge their arch nemesis — traffic!

Sometimes though, hedgehogs can be seen during the day. In the past week, I’ve had three reports of hedgehogs appearing in the middle of the day.

This is not a good sign as it means the animal is feeling unwell. To determine exactly what the cause is, it’s best to take the animal to your nearest animal centre or vets. If you’ve seen a day-time hedgehog recently, please get in touch. You, the reader, are our eyes and ears when it comes to changes in our wildlife, and if there has been an increase in daytime hedgehogs in Bolton, we need to know when you saw them, where and what they were doing.

And if you’re still scratching your head about how hedgehogs mate with all those spines, the answer is . . . very carefully!

Find out more about British Wildlife at Russ’s website: naturetalksandwalks.co.uk