Hedgehog  (Erinaceus europaeus)

Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, and can travel up to one to two kilometres per night whilst foraging for food. They have a broad diet, including worms, slugs, caterpillars and many other invertebrates (2), as well as frogs, berries (6) and the eggs and chicks of ground-nesting birds (2). Due to a variable resistance to adder venom, hedgehogs can even attack and eat adders (7).

Hedgehogs are good swimmers, can run fairly quickly, and are well known for their habit of rolling into a tight ball when threatened (8). They hibernate in winter in a nest made of leaves, typically under sheds or log piles. They emerge from hibernation around Easter time, and breeding occurs between April and September. Females give birth to between four and five young per litter, and are left to raise the young alone (2).

Like other hedgehogs, this species has the peculiar habit of 'self-anointing', in which the hedgehog produces a large amount of foamy saliva and licks the saliva over its spines. The purpose of this behaviour is a mystery (9), but it can be triggered by strong smells, new foods, and the presence of other hedgehogs (7).