A sharp drop in the number of hedgehogs in Britain is being blamed on the booming badger population developing a liking for them. The decline is also explained by the fact that both animals compete for the same foods. Researchers have found a strong link between areas where badgers are doing well and declines in hedgehogs. Numbers are falling especially in the south and south west of England, and in urban areas. Another factor may be that the loss of hedgerows and the spread of intensive farming has reduced cover, so making hedgehogs easier to catch for badgers. More
Tag Archives: hedgehogs in Britain
Rat poison killing hegehogs
The RSPCA has warned people may be contributing unwittingly to the decline of Britain’s hedgehogs by putting down rat poison. According to new research, the presence of anticoagulants – which are used to kill rats – has been found in ”significant levels” in hedgehog corpses. More here
What hedgehogs like to eat
The idea of hedgehogs feasting mainly on slugs and snails is somewhat of a misconception. It’s true that hedgehogs are very useful natural pest controllers, snaffling up all kinds of unwanted creatures in your garden, but gastropods form only part of their varied diet, which includes beetles, earth worms, millipedes, caterpillars, earwigs, frogs, and bird’s eggs. In fact, if they are forced to eat too many slugs and snails, because of lack of alternative food, they are at risk of lungworm infestation. Hedgehogs suffering from this parasite, which slugs and snails harbour, will develop the symptoms of a heavy smoker, wheezing and coughing their way to an early death. Continue reading What hedgehogs like to eat