Natural habitat
A hedgehog lives in the woods of deciduous trees, hedges or the edges of forest.
To reproduce a natural shelter for the hedgehog, hedges, bushes or a pile of wood are ideal. Hedgehogs can also stay in a compost heap that will also provide them with food.
It is eventually possible to arrange a pile of wood as shown below (with an entrance of approximately 15 cm to 20 cm in height and a space of 60 by 40 cm inside) or with an upturned crate of wine , as shown below.
Preparation of a space under wood storage
Preparing a space in a crate
Here, we use a crate for 12 bottles of wine which is about 35 cm wide, 50 long and 17 cm high, ideal dimensions.
In step 3, the crate is ballasted (which avoids being turned over and thus expose the hedgehogs to predators, especially during hibernation) and a small hole is dug at the entrance to accommodate the hedgehog. The entrance hole in the crate is 12 cm wide and 12 cm high.
In the two artificial cases above and in the event of the adjustment of a natural space (bush or hedge):
- Provide a pile of leaves and/or straw in the shelter. Thus, the hedgehog will be protected from the cold during hibernation.
- Provide a habitat sheltered from humidity. Seal the roof if necessary. Avoid placing the shelter in a place subject to flooding (especially during hibernation) or where water accumulates.
Protected species
The hedgehog is a protected species in several countries, you do not have the right to keep one.
However, you can prepare a habitat for it, something to drink or eat depending on the time of year and perhaps it will by itself, settle on your plot.
Remarks
Don’t force it, if you move a hedgehog you potentially separate it from its family!
If you have a good relationship with your neighbors, you can create “ecological corridors” by leaving gaps for species, such as hedgehogs, to travel from one garden to another.
If you have a water point (pond or other), put a board (or similar) that makes the connection between the pond and the ground, will avoid unpleasant surprises of small animals drowning.
Sources
Here are the editable sources.
For people who master vector (svg made on Inkscape with a layer system).
Pictures
Some pictures to get in the mood ;)
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From left to right :
Photo by Alexas_Fotos
Photo by I.V. Korneev, Leningrad Zoo
Photo by Gibe
