Wild Hedgehogs

[Lunkoven]

Hello,

I moved to Finland from America almost 2 years ago. My husband is Finnish. After reading an article in Helsingin Sanomat about the hedgehogs being hungry and thirsty from a month without rain, we started putting some food and water out for them. We live in a quite populated area, so we were surprised when at least 6 hedgehogs started to visit our yard on a regular basis. And we were happy to see a number of them get very fat.

We just put out a home-made nesting box last week and were excited to see a new resident come out this morning for a snack. The food we had out kept disappearing overnight, but for a while we didn't know if this was a hedgie, neighborhood cat, or magpie (harakka) eating the food.

Last week we still saw some very small hedgehogs out to visit our food boxes. Is there any way to tell an underweight hedgehog just by looking? I'm sure I have seen at least two that are under 500 grams (probably because of the hard summer). These hedgehogs have become very close to our hearts, and my husband and I would like to help them as much as we can. Today was the first dusting of snow and I am worried that the bugs will soon die and the small hedgehogs will as well. Is there any guide to taking in a hedgehog temporarily to "fatten them up". We have some questions like...

What kind of supplies and container do we need to keep a hedgehog?
Can you keep many in one box or do they need to be alone?
Is there any worry about salmonella (hog to hog or hog to human)?
Are there any parasites to worry about (we also have a dog)?
Is there a threat of socializing them too much (getting too used to people)?
How do you catch them (they can be quite fast)?
Should we provide an outdoor nesting box when they are ready to release or just let them go?

Sorry, that is a lot of questions. =) I'm hoping that we get replies in time to help the little hoggies if they come back. I'm worried that they will already be trying to sleep now (wish hubby would have found this site sooner). Thank you.

[Nocturnal]

Hi, here's a very useful site about wild hedgehogs in Finnish: <a href="http://www2.eduskunta.fi/kerhot/luonto/eurosiili/index.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">URL</a>. I don't think it's a very good idea to capture a wild animal and put it in a small space. It would be good if you had a room for the hedgehogs if you plan to keep them for a longer period of time. If you can't offer the hedgehogs enough space etc. I suggest you contact places where they take care of wild animals that are hurt or need care for some other reason and ask them if they could take the hedgehogs. Hedgehogs also need their own space. Especially male ones can fight. Wild hedgehogs usually have some parasites and they can carry salmonella, so do not let your dog too close to them. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get them checked by a vet. I have to warn you that they can be quite messy. Hedgies can be fast, but they aren't as fast as a human. I suggest you use gloves when you catch them. Hope this helped you a little.

[Kaisa]

Korkeasaari zoo <a href="http://www.korkeasaari.fi/index_eng.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.korkeasaari.fi/index_eng.html</a> has again started to take care of the wild animals in need. It might be a good idea to call them for advise what would be best to be done in this situation.

If wild hedgehog is too small (less than 800 - 100 g) before winter, it will not survive from hibernation. Too small hedgies can live the winter in shelters inside and are released to nature in the spring.

[Lunkoven]

Thanks for the fast replies.

My husband was already looking at that Finnish site that you provided, Nocturnal. That was where he read that people should take in hedgehogs if they are underweight at the end of the season.

Unfortunately that Finnish site didn't show any wild animal rescue centers around our area (Seinäjoki). If someone knows of one, we'd like to know. I would also much rather take a small hedgehog to someone who knows about them rather than us amateurs try to care for one. I think we would be willing to do whatever we could if there were no other options available except to let the hedgies die, but I know that if we just don't have the ability then we have to live with that.

You're right that we don't have a lot of space. I had the idea to designate the sauna as a hedgehog sanctuary. I'm not Finnish, so I wouldn't mind. =) I think my husband was only concerned if the sauna would be too cold (the floor isn't heated in there).

We will keep looking for more info on the net. We have only just become hedgehog enthusiasts, so there is still a lot we need to learn. =)

[Nocturnal]

This site is mostly about birds, but there's also a list of rescue centers for wild animals: <a href="http://www.math.jyu.fi/~kahanpaa/Kotisivut/AnserErythropus/hoitola.html#Lintuhoitolaanko" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">URL</a>. Maybe you could find a place that is near Seinäjoki.

[marcin]

Hey Lunkoven,

in general, hedgehogs are a protected spieces in Finland. So unless they are hurt, you are not really allowed to do anything to them. Kaisa is right with the weight, although the quoted figure I have seen was 700g. Then again, it will also depends a lot on what the winter brings. If we have early spring, it will be easy on the hedgies.

Two things I suggest you would do:
1) provide them a good place to sleep, i.e. if you have some yard space, provide them with sheltered houses where it keeps dry during winter/spring
2) provide them as much food/water as you can (cat food, boiled fish, meat, cooked/raw egg, etc)

Hedgies put on a lot of weight in the last weeks, and they tend to eat themselves full when they can find food, so it will help a lot. According to my knowledge, unless it gets really cold, they should still have a good month to go before hibernation.

[Lunkoven]

Well, I'm pretty sure that we have at least one permanent resident in our home-made hedgehog nests in the back yard. Last night the food I put out in front of the box was half eaten after about 2 hours. It was dark so I know it wasn't a magpie and a hungry cat would have eaten the whole thing. I guess they are still fattening up and we may not need to do anything for them. Maybe I was just too worried about the little guys. =)

<em>unless it gets really cold, they should still have a good month to go before hibernation</em>

When I read about pet hedgehogs and how you have to keep their enclosure warm or they will try to hibernate (and this can be fatal), I guess I figured that all hedgehogs are sensitive to cold weather. But Finnish hedgehogs are tough little critters. Its getting below freezing at night, and they are still awake and feeding. It certainly puts my mind at ease.

Now the hedgehog(s) only come(s) out when it is totally dark. Earlier in the summer, they were coming up to me and begging for food in the middle of the afternoon. Now they are acting more like the wild mysterious creatures that they are. Perhaps they have eaten more now and are feeling less desperate for food. It seems like a good sign to me.

By the way, Prisma is selling a cute line of baby clothes with hedgehogs on them. =) I admit that I had to buy a few items.

[marcin]

<em>When I read about pet hedgehogs and how you have to keep their enclosure warm or they will try to hibernate (and this can be fatal), I guess I figured that all hedgehogs are sensitive to cold weather. But Finnish hedgehogs are tough little critters. Its getting below freezing at night, and they are still awake and feeding. It certainly puts my mind at ease. </em>

Well, the "pet" hedgehogs come mostly from Africa (Algerian, Pigmy, Egyptian...), and India (Indian long-ear), so as you can imagine, the average temperatures these guys are used to are a bit different than European Hedgehogs.

And its actually so that even the African hedgies hibernate when its cold (average below 17C -- IIRC). In house-conditions though, hibernation has proved to be a very difficult state (would you refrigirate them or something?). You would need to prepare them for hibernation, then provide them with controlled climate for the time of hibernation, etc. Plus, its a very straining state, and their lifespan would probably decrease. On the other hand, there is no evidence that lack of hibernation is harmful, so its the easier way out. Also, I think the African guys go into "reverse hibernation" (there is actually a proper term for this, but I can't remember), i.e. they sleep when its too hot.

[Lunkoven]

Does anyone know what the average temperature needs to drop down to before European (Seinäjoki) hedgehogs begin to hibernate. We have two residents in our backyard at the moment. We saw one last night that looked to still be quite small and now the night temperatures are getting pretty low (last night down to almost -10). The bowls were still empty this morning and we filled them with 200g of food each. I know the small one ate at least 60g of food last night because we observed it doing so. The rest may have been finished off by a magpie while we slept in this morning, its hard to tell. But I am worried about this shift in the weather and the hedgehog's small size. Is there any way to predict when they will hibernate? Will they wake back up if the weather gets warmer again for a spell?

Also, is it dangerous in any way to keep putting food out ... perhaps keeping them up beyond a time when they should be hibernating? My common sense tells me that the more we feed them (they will be fatter and they might not have to sleep as long) the better off they will be. But I just want to make sure we aren't causing any harm or upsetting their natural balance.

[marcin]

I don't know if there are any variations in the average temperature needed for hibernation. Quite possibly yes. The temp I've seen quoted was 7C, which might still hold even if it gets well below zero at night. I have also seen pictures of hedgehogs walking on snow when they have woken up too early in the spring.

As the hibernation, AFAIK, its better that they stay asleep once they have fallen asleep because hibernation is a straining process. I can't think why it would be bad for them to get food even when it cold. Hibernation is mostly a way to survive winter, I guess if they have other means, that works too. As for length of hibernation, I think it will be directly related to temperature, but perhaps someone with more knowledge of biology can help out with clarification.