How do hedgehogs mate?

Cobra

Cobra

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* Of course the usual response is very carefully.
Its a bit waffly but read on ..

I've noted before that I am feeding 2 Hedgehogs, Hoggy the brave
and grumpy git.
Grumpy git turned up late last summer, and was very wary.
Grumpy is still wary but no longer curls up and hisses if I get close.

I continued to supplement its natural diet of slugs etc, with a small bowl
of meal worms, and fresh water until it was no longer eaten.
This I put roughly where I think it was sleeping, at the far end of the garden.

Come the spring, I went out to put the mealworms out, to see if Grumpy git was awake.
And nearly trod on a hedgehog sat by the back door,
I wasn't sure if this was grumpy or not as it looked quite small,
Did it lose a lot of weight over the winter?

No, this was most certainly a different one, Hoggy the brave.
And why was it sat by the back door? I've never put food there, I've no idea.

Hoggy the brave is not at all phased by my presence, I'm sure I could hand feed it, as I actually have added meal worms while he was feeding.
But those teeth are sharp and I need my fingers,

Since that night, I've been putting food out by the back door, if grumpy gets there first, there is food left for hoggy,
But if hoggy turns up first the double portion is gone!
It seems the average intake per night is around 75g I put out approx 150g.
Mealworms, dog food and any other raw meat that I have such as mince or finely diced chicken.

Last night I checked for the feeding, and saw a licked clean bowl, and hoggy heading back down the garden.
So I added a handful of mealworms to the bowl, in case Grumpy showed up.

Something caught my eye in the distance, its to big for a hedgehog, much too small for a cat and certainly not a rat.
I grabbed a torch and went for a look.

*And there I found the answer, to the question, the female lays flat and stretched out, this lays her defensive spines flat,
and the male half stands on her back.

I quickly turned the torch, off, made my apologies and went back in side.
I wonder if the female will stay, and have them here or move on...
I'll find out in a couple of months or so...

Its curious Hedgehogs are supposed to be solitary, and territorial,
but grumpy & hoggy have been co-existing for at least a couple or so months,
and for now, it looks like I'm feeding 3...
 
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Cobra said:
* Of course the usual response is very carefully.
Its a bit waffly but read on ..

I've noted before that I am feeding 2 Hedgehogs, Hoggy the brave
and grumpy git.
Grumpy git turned up late last summer, and was very wary.
Grumpy is still wary but no longer curls up and hisses if I get close.

I continued to supplement its natural diet of slugs etc, with a small bowl
of meal worms, and fresh water until it was no longer eaten.
This I put roughly where I think it was sleeping, at the far end of the garden.

Come the spring, I went out to put the mealworms out, to see if Grumpy git was awake.
And nearly trod on a hedgehog sat by the back door,
I wasn't sure if this was grumpy or not as it looked quite small,
Did it lose a lot of weight over the winter?

No, this was most certainly a different one, Hoggy the brave.
And why was it sat by the back door? I've never put food there, I've no idea.

Hoggy the brave is not at all phased by my presence, I'm sure I could hand feed it, as I actually have added meal worms while he was feeding.
But those teeth are sharp and I need my fingers,

Since that night, I've been putting food out by the back door, if grumpy gets there first, there is food left for hoggy,
But if hoggy turns up first the double portion is gone!
It seems the average intake per night is around 75g I put out approx 150g.
Mealworms, dog food and any other raw meat that I have such as mince or finely diced chicken.

Last night I checked for the feeding, and saw a licked clean bowl, and hoggy heading back down the garden.
So I added a handful of mealworms to the bowl, in case Grumpy showed up.

Something caught my eye in the distance, its to big for a hedgehog, much too small for a cat and certainly not a rat.
I grabbed a torch and went for a look.

*And there I found the answer, to the question, the female lays flat and stretched out, this lays her defensive spines flat,
and the male half stands on her back.

I quickly turned the torch, off, made my apologies and went back in side.
I wonder if the female will stay, and have them here or move on...
I'll find out in a couple of months or so...

Its curious Hedgehogs are supposed to be solitary, and territorial,
but grumpy & hoggy have been co-existing for at least a couple or so months,
and for now, it looks like I'm feeding 3...
Click to expand...

I'll follow the Tale of Two Hedgehogs with interest as it develops! You're very fortunate to have them 'living' with you ...

I don't know why these two seem willing to share their space but I think that a lot of wild creatures can, and do, adapt their natural behaviours in the face of changing circumstances such as urban development. Urban foxes are a case in point. Does this make sense?

Of course, there are exceptions. Scottish wildcats are a good example. I love them and hope they manage to survive, preferably without hybridisation by cross breeding with domestic cats. That may be too big an ask though ...
 
I'm pretty sure we have 3, identified by their size and I have seen 2 in the garden at the same time last year, drinking from opposite sides of our pond. They often scoff from our Fox food bowl too.

A local chap has set up a Hedgehog Highway around the village, he even has an FB page. There's a very healthy population here.

I'll watch this with interest. (y)
 
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MartynK said:
I'll follow the Tale of Two Hedgehogs with interest as it develops! You're very fortunate to have them 'living' with you ...
Click to expand...
Thanks, :) 8-10 weeks now, before any off spring are likely to emerge. It'll be pretty cool if mum stays here.
And indeed as I've mentioned before I've not seen one locally, either live or road pizza in many years,
As the saying goes, you wait for ages and 3 come along at once :D

MartynK said:
can, and do, adapt their natural behaviours in the face of changing circumstances such as urban development.
Click to expand...
True enough. Although this area had been established for some 50 odd years and no local development for over 20 years.

Dale. said:
I'm pretty sure we have 3,
Click to expand...
Going on previous conversations, it sounds as though your garden is far bigger than mine.
Mine's just a normal town sized garden, but probably quite big compared to "new developments"
Although I do rather like evergreens, along with the flowers.
I have clumps of Bamboo, clumps of Laurel and clumps of cotonoester. Oh and not forgetting the fern patch.
All providing year round cover.
 
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That was beautifully written Chris, we both really enjoyed it. All the best for the new family!
 
Fascinating Chris my obvious simplistic answer to the post would be on a bed of nails....................more serious though maybe there is a courtship period and just maybe one will leave and one will stay? If male hedgey isn't involved in rearing hoglets then I'd guess fella has an overlapping territory and mummy hog is more sedentary........it sort of seems at odds that she would go looking for him and then come home..................my guess is you are gonna see hoglets..we'll see mate...always happy to be wrong, just hoping for once i'm not

I can wait a couple of months.no hardship there (y) ......Ha I'd be over the moon to see this Chris and be in your shoes waiting :cool:

stu
 
Stuart Philpott said:
more serious though maybe there is a courtship period
Click to expand...
Cheers Stu, TBH I'd guess not.
Stuart Philpott said:
I'd guess fella has an overlapping territory and mummy hog is more sedentary..
Click to expand...
I'd say most likely the case.
Although it seems that all hedgies will travel over a Km a night for food.
Although tonight the usual 2 were "facing off" by the food.
The first time I've seen them together, normally they turn up a few hours apart.
Hoggy around dusk, and grumpy sometime around midnight.
 
Over the years we have rescued quite a few hedgehogs and there are a couple of things to note. Hedgehogs only eat slugs if there isn't any of their preferred food around -- worms, bugs and insects in general etc. Mealworms are like sweets to hedgehogs and given the choice that's all they'll eat. Unfortunately, a diet of mealworms -- especially dried ones -- tends to cause a lot of problems, in particular, bone damage caused by having high levels of phosphorus which depletes calcium levels. The best food for a captive hedgehog is cans of cat or dog food, preferably not fish, and of course absolutely no milk or bread -- but then I would hope everybody knows that by now.

I'm not trying to lecture by teaching anyone's granny to suck eggs but I'm very keen that people know what to do with hogs.
 
ShinySideUp said:
I'm very keen that people know what to do with hogs.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you read the whole of my post and saw the diet I give them :)
In case you missed it
Cobra said:
Mealworms, dog food and any other raw meat that I have such as mince or finely diced chicken.
Click to expand...
In another thread I also posted the food is lightly soaked, to soften the meal worms, (y)
 
Cobra said:
I'm sure you read the whole of my post and saw the diet I give them :)
In case you missed it

In another thread I also posted the food is lightly soaked, to soften the meal worms, (y)
Click to expand...

Sorry, I wasn't digging at you, you are obviously doing very well with your hedgehog activities, I'm just keen that people in general know what to not do when trying to help hedgehogs. It is a common 'knowledge' that hedgehogs like mealworms, ergo more mealworms is better. Similarly, while rabbits may have small quantities of lettuce (not Iceberg) they should not be fed lettuce as a diet but it is commonly believed that rabbits like lettuce, ergo more must be better (same with carrots -- too much sugar). I just try to help the little creatures with information to the helpful, but sometimes misinformed, public.
 
I seem to remember hedgehogs makes a heck of a noise during mating, it sounds like someone sawing metal. The police are often called out to the noise by neighbours thinking someone is cutting the lock off a neighbours shed or something.
Cobra whats your address? it's nothing to do with your comment "such as mince or finely diced chicken" I identify as a hedgehog... honest guv! ;)
 
ShinySideUp said:
Sorry, I wasn't digging at you, you are obviously doing very well with your hedgehog activities,
Click to expand...
No worries, I was a big grumpy last night I guess, when I posted that. You weren't to know that my degree is in animal behaviour which is a broad church as they say, ranging anywhere from the effects of nutrition, genetic anomalies, environmental factors and more,
so I'll say sorry too :) .

swanseamale47 said:
I seem to remember hedgehogs makes a heck of a noise during mating, it sounds like someone sawing metal.
Click to expand...
I've not heard or heard of that before TBH.
These 2 were actually quiet I guess they didn't want to wake the neighbours. :D

swanseamale47 said:
I identify as a hedgehog... honest guv! ;)
Click to expand...
:LOL:
 
Last night both Grumpy and Hoggy arrived at the trough at the same time, normally they arrive a couple or so hours apart.
They were just "facing off" when I checked.

Some hours later a 3rd turned up, curiously with a mud patch on its back.
Going on the mating behaviour as noted above, ( male standing on females back) I guess this is a ( the same?) female.
But I'm not sure where the mud came from, its been largely dry, here for awhile now. Maybe from my fern patch, that I had watered that day.
What I didn't know until I looked at it yesterday that female will mate with more than one male during the breeding season.
So maybe another male had wandered in through the soggy ground.
 
We only have a smallish garden, but I have seen up to 4 different hogs at one time and two in the feeding box together.

I tend to provide chicken flavour cat food, and plenty of water. I put a few lose offerings outside the feeder, but inside is stocked for a night or two.
 
Jelster said:
We only have a smallish garden, but I have seen up to 4 different hogs at one time and two in the feeding box together.

I tend to provide chicken flavour cat food, and plenty of water. I put a few lose offerings outside the feeder, but inside is stocked for a night or two.
Click to expand...

We can only put meat out for one night at a time as inevitably by the time we look at it the following morning there will be flies eggs in it despite it being in a box with a baffle to stop next door's bloody cat -- and don't get me started on the friggin' heron that keeps my pond fish at the bottom despite me building defences that would have kept the German army at bay :rolleyes:
 
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ShinySideUp said:
and don't get me started on the friggin' heron that keeps my pond fish at the bottom despite me building defences that would have kept the German army at bay
Click to expand...
Don't get me started on that one either, I have at least a dozen local large lakes all within easy flying distance, and yet the damned thing
is often sitting on my back fence!
I don't like having to net the pond but needs must :(
 
Cobra said:
Don't get me started on that one either, I have at least a dozen local large lakes all within easy flying distance, and yet the damned thing
is often sitting on my back fence!
I don't like having to net the pond but needs must :(
Click to expand...

Yeah, but he'll have to search for his prey in a lake, in your pond it's like shooting fish in a barrel. As you know, wild animals always go for the easiest food resource! The chap opposite me has a faily big pond in his front garden, and if it's not herons or little egrets trying to poach his Koi, it's the mallards swimming about in it :LOL:
 
ShinySideUp said:
We can only put meat out for one night at a time as inevitably by the time we look at it the following morning there will be flies eggs in it despite it being in a box with a baffle to stop next door's bloody cat -- and don't get me started on the friggin' heron that keeps my pond fish at the bottom despite me building defences that would have kept the German army at bay :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
I’m fairly pleased to hear about your fly problem. The thing I’ve noticed in recent years is the almost complete absence of flies coming into the house in warm weather. Convenient of course but worrying :(.
 
Cobra said:
Last night both Grumpy and Hoggy arrived at the trough at the same time, normally they arrive a couple or so hours apart.
They were just "facing off" when I checked.

Some hours later a 3rd turned up, curiously with a mud patch on its back.
Going on the mating behaviour as noted above, ( male standing on females back) I guess this is a ( the same?) female.
But I'm not sure where the mud came from, its been largely dry, here for awhile now. Maybe from my fern patch, that I had watered that day.
What I didn't know until I looked at it yesterday that female will mate with more than one male during the breeding season.
So maybe another male had wandered in through the soggy ground.
Click to expand...
 
sphexx said:
Click to expand...
Thanks but I've now painted them different florescent colours

I am joking of course, I've studied them long enough now to recognise each individual. :)

ThomasStewart said:
What a sweet and kind story! I hope for a good continuation of this story and I am preparing for you congratulations on the imminent replenishment in the hedgehog family :D
Click to expand...
Thanks :)
I'll continue to post any up dates :)
 
Cobra said:
Thanks but I've now painted them different florescent colours

I am joking of course, I've studied them long enough now to recognise each individual. :)


Thanks :)
I'll continue to post any up dates :)
Click to expand...
Actually a little bit of spray paint was my first thought but I thought it might be objected to ;). The Royal Parks is more of a mark & release survey situation.
 
Update for anyone that is interested.

Last night sometime around midnight, I could see grumpy and hoggy about halfway down the garden,
near the bamboo, next to each other, they seemed to be putting the world to rights.

A third, hedge hog left the trough and was heading back down the garden,
taken no notice of the other 2.
But as it passed within about 10 feet, one of the other 2 ( I couldn't tell who) left the conversation, and went into battle,
grabbing the other by its spines ( it didn't appear to make contact with its flesh), and dragged it around !
And yet the aggrieved was the larger of the 2.

Eventually the 3rd one curled up into a tight ball, and the attacker kept head butting it, obviously trying to turn it over to get to the soft bits.
All that happened was, it got rolled a few feet down the garden.
I assume there were no real wounds, there was no squealing or noise of any kind coming from that direction.

After a few mins. the attacker walked off to continue the conversation.
the defendant stayed curled up for about ten mins.
Got up looked around, shook itself down, and wandered off, apparently un harmed.
 
Sounds like a friday night in Glasgow. ;)

Intriquing story Chris. As it stands, we have only the one at the moment, no sign of the other 2 just now.
 
Guess who came to dinner?
This is the one that lost the fight the other night..
From the best I could tell, no harm done.


012a.jpg
 
Will that be a table for 2 sir?
( hoggy in the foreground, unknown interloper at the back)003.jpg.
 
Gav-canon said:
They look a good size and healthy :)
Click to expand...
Hoggy is quite small TBH, leading me to think that he is quite young.
But the other is a fair size as is gumpy git.
 
Gav-canon said:
Your food bill is going to rocket at this rate :LOL:
Click to expand...
Just a tad :D
Thankfully a member of my family works at a pet shop, and I get 20% off the dog food. :)
But yeah 5l of meal worms @£11.99 used to last me ages when I was just feeding birds, now it barely lasts me a month.
 
Leave some dog food out, they seem to be able to smell it quite away off.
Failing that a handful of meal worms scattered on the lawn around dusk also works.
Good luck (y)
 
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